Angola's kwanza tumbled more than 15 percent against the dollar on
Monday, central bank data showed, as Africa's second-largest oil
exporter reels from weak global oil prices and high demand for the more
stable dollar.
In addition to the fall in the price of oil, domestic petrol prices
rose sharply on Jan. 1 as the government cut its subsidies, in a move
likely to push up inflation and weaken the domestic currency further.
Data on the Bank of Angola website showed the kwanza was officially
bid at 154.835 against the greenback compared with 134.573 on Dec. 31.
"This is an adjustment to reduce the gap between the exchange rate
from the central bank and the exchange rate from the street market,
which is the real market," chief executive officer of state-owned Bank
of Commerce and Industry, Jorge Peres said.
The kwanza is now down more than 50 percent since January 2015.
By: Reuters.
Reporting: Peroshni Govender.
Editing: Hugh Lawson.
Review: Emerging Market Formulations & Research Unit, Flagship Records.
For The #FacebookTeam