The Argentine government is further tightening the US dollar clamp. On Thursday the Central bank announced that state-run banks and agencies will be the only ones officially allowed to operate foreign currency exchange offices in airports and ports.
In a further attempt to prop the economy and promote investment funding Argentine President Cristina Fernández, CFK, announced on Wednesday that via the Central Bank, “the twenty A-class banks in the country will be obligated to give out loans,” in order for investment to be made on goods and services.”
Argentina announced on Thursday the use of a new computer tool to gather information from buyers of holiday packages from travel agencies, in another attempt to control savers thirst for greenbacks after the government's crackdown on access to dollars.
The Economist argues that with the latest legislation, the Argentine central bank has lost its legal independence and become the piggy bank of President Cristina Fernandez government.
The president of Argentina’s Central Bank (BCRA), Mercedes Marcó del Pont, stressed the importance of the recently approved bank’s charter reform and denied that printing currency leads to the creation of an inflationary state “since inflation is rooted in other causes”.
The US Supreme Court has asked President Barack Obama's administration for its views of a ruling that unfroze 105 million dollars of Argentina's central bank deposits in a setback for two US investment funds that sought to seize the money to satisfy their claims from Argentina’s debt default a decade ago.
Argentina's central bank cut dollar reserve requirements after bank deposits plunged 645 million dollars last week following the government's moves to restrict foreign exchange purchases in an attempt to reduce capital flight.