Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Measures to protect rupee


From less than `.40 to the dollar in April 2008 the rupee fell to historic low of 58.2 to the dollar on 11th June 2013. Weakness of the rupee is a result of a deterioration of India’s economic performance, especially the deterioration of its balance of payments. When the rupee hit 58 to the dollar, Finance Ministry chose to appear in public to declare there is no need to panic. But it is perhaps the time they themselves panicked and did something in the short run to correct the deterioration of India’s balance of payments.

The Reserve Bank of India took measures to increase the supply of dollars in the market including asking exporters to realise their dollar earnings and get them back into the country within one year to support a plunging rupee.

The apex bank also hastened the process of dollar inflows through online payment channels by increasing the amount that exporters can bring back to $10,000 from $3000. The new norms will be applicable with immediate effect, the RBI said.

These are the first few steps taken by the RBI to send a signal of its intention to protect the rupee through administrative measures.

No comments:

Post a Comment