The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to set up teller points in designated branches for the sale of foreign exchange to meet legitimate forex requests of their customers.
This is coming after the apex bank announced that it will discontinue the sale of dollars to the Bureau De Change (BDC) operators.
The directive is contained in a memo by the CBN to the deposit money banks and signed by the Director, Bank Supervision Department of the apex bank, on Thursday, July 28, 2021, in Abuja.
The CBN in the memo also asked the banks to publicize the locations of the designated branches and make necessary arrangements to sell forex to customers in cash and/or electronically.
What the letter from CBN to the banks says
The CBN’s letter partly reads, “Further to the Monetary Policy Committee briefing of July 27, all DMBs are hereby reminded to set up teller points at designated branches across the country to fulfil legitimate FX requests for Personal Travel Allowance, Business Travel Allowance, tuition fees, medical payments and SMEs transactions, among others.
In this regard, DMBs are also required to adequately publicise the locations of the designated branches and make necessary arrangements to sell FX to customers in cash and/or electronically in compliance with extant regulations.
DMBs are strongly advised to ensure that no customer is turned back or refused FX provided that documentation and all other requirements are satisfied. Equally, undue delays, rationing and/or diversion of FX is strongly discouraged whilst DMBs are required to establish electronic application and alert systems to update customers on status of their FX requests.’’
The letter pointed out that a toll-free line had been set up at the CBN for bank customers to escalate unresolved complaints related to their FX requests.
Mustafa in the letter also said that the CBN would continue to closely monitor banks’ conduct and compliance with the directive in order to ensure an efficient FX market for all legitimate users.
The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday, July 27, took most people by surprise as he announced the discontinuation of forex allocation to the BDCs accusing them of unwholesome practices and now being agents that facilitate graft and corruption in the country.
He said that the apex bank will now sell foreign exchange directly to deposit money banks.
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