Transnistrian President Yevgeny Shevchuk announced a few days ago his plans on introducing a Russian ruble, along with the Transnistrian one, as the country’s currency.
One Transnistrian ruble,;author: Dx73, source: pl.wikipedia.org
According to President Yevgeny Shevchuk, “Introducing the Russian ruble in the Republic would make dealings with the Customs Union’s countries (Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan) much easier”. Shevchuk announced that soon he would call on the Parliament and present a special bill on this matter. However, Tatiana Lariusin from Moldovan think tank Viitorul believes it “is purely politically motivated, and the aim is to consolidate the new ruling elite”.
Some experts and citizens of the separatist republic are critical towards the presidential concept, regarding it as surrendering one of prerogative belonging to a sovereign state. For years, having an account in foreign currency has been banned in Transnistria. Such a privilege was enjoyed only by companies doing business abroad. Against Shevchuk’s idea are also pensioners as well as civil servants who are paid in domestic currency. Undoubtedly, the realization of this plan would cause havoc on the financial market in Transnistria. As the dniester.ru portal reminded, yet in 2006 the contemporary head of state, Igor Smirnov, had presented a similar initiative.
The Transnistrian ruble was introduced as a legal tender in 1994. This currency is not recognized in any other country and is of strictly collector value abroad. The images on the notes belong to Alexander Suvorov, the founder of Tiraspol, Taras Shevchenko, the bard of Ukraine, and Dimitrie Cantemir, Prince of Moldavia. In a Transnistrian bureau de change, one must pay 14.5 Transnistrian rubles for one Euro.
Source: Trans-Dniester Republican Bank, dniester.ru [I], dniester.ru [II], timpul[mappress mapid=”1151″]
Translated by KD
