The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in the period from June 24 to June 27 bought $44 million in the interbank foreign exchange market, which is 8.6% more than a week earlier ($40.5 million).
According to the website of the central bank, $20 million was acquired at the best purchase and sale price (using the matching instrument), $24 million at a single rate (using the matching instrument).
In June, the National Bank bought $322.3 million compared with $203.6 million in May and $299.9 million in April.
In general, since the beginning of this year, the NBU bought $1.639 billion in the interbank market and sold $231.43 million.
The National Bank of Ukraine in accordance with the updated methodology has increased the number of systemically important banks to 14, whereas since 2016 their number remained unchanged at three, including state-owned PrivatBank, Oschadbank and Ukreximbank, the regulator has said.
The expanded list of such banks also includes state-owned Ukrgasbank and private Alfa-Bank with the merging Ukrsotsbank, Raiffeisen Bank Aval, FUIB, UkrSibbank, TAScombank and Universal Bank controlled by Sergiy Tigipko, Kredobank, OTP Bank and Bank Pivdenny.
The National Bank noted that systemically important banks are the banks whose bankruptcy or improper functioning can lead to systemic risks, while obtaining this status imposes an additional burden on the banks as they must fulfill certain increased requirements to ensure their safety margin.
In particular, the National Bank of Ukraine established special values of quick liquidity ratio for such banks from January 1, 2020: at least 30% of current liabilities (for other banks 20%) and the maximum credit risk per counterparty at no more than 20% of regulatory capital (for other banks 25%).
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) only purchased foreign currency on the interbank foreign exchange market during the period from June 18 until June 21, 2019 and replenished its forex reserves by $40.5 million as compared with $135.1 million last week. Some $40.5 million was acquired at the best purchase and sale price (using the matching tool), the NBU said on its website.
In total, since the beginning of this year, the NBU has bought $1.595 billion on the interbank market, including $278.3 million in June, and sold $231.43 million there (the central bank did not sell foreign currency in June).
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has approved the rules of the UAPAY national payment system and placed the information about the system in the register of payment systems, the NBU has reported on its website.
FC UAPAY LLC (Kyiv) is the payment organization of the UAPAY national payment system.
The UAPAY payment system has become the 11th national payment system on the Ukrainian market created by non-bank financial institutions.
The National Bank of Ukraine has issued a currency transfer license to GlobalMoney LLC.
According to a posting on the website of the NBU, the decision was made on June 4.
GlobalMoney LLC has become the 19th participant in the foreign exchange market, having received the license to carry out foreign exchange operations in accordance with the law on currency and foreign exchange transactions.
The licenses issued on the basis of the law on currency and currency transactions for the implementation of currency transactions will be indefinite, whereas previously the general currency exchange licenses were issued for a period of up to three years.
The NBU provided an opportunity for simplified re-issuance of licenses to all participants in the currency exchange market. To do this, non-bank financial institutions must submit a small package of documents and return the original general license. The regulator makes a decision on reissuing the license within two months after receiving the package of documents.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) will continue to study the possibility of issuing its own digital currency – e-hryvnia, the NBU has said, with reference to the results of a pilot project in which the regulator released a limited amount of electronic hryvnia, operations using which were tested by working groups with the participation of the regulator, volunteer companies and the World Bank.
According to the results of the pilot project, the National Bank believes that e-hryvnia can be considered as an alternative to the available means and instruments of retail payments, including cash, payment orders, payment cards and electronic money. The advantages of e-hryvnia are ease of use, availability, security (redemption and payments are guaranteed by the National Bank) and the speed of payments.
The electronic hryvnia can be considered as the so called disruptive technology, since it can potentially significantly change the ecosystem of the payment market of Ukraine and redistribute the existing roles of market participants.
