Venezuela Is Adding More Zeroes to Its Currency to Deal With Hyperinflation
Venezuela is preparing to issue bank notes in higher denominations next year as rampant inflation reduces the value of a 100-bolivar bill to just 14 cents on the black market.
The new notes -- of 500 and possibly 1,000 bolivars -- are expected to be released sometime after congressional elections are held on Dec. 6, said a senior government official who isn’t authorized to talk about the plans publicly.
Many Venezuelans have to carry wads of cash in bags instead of wallets as soaring inflation and a declining currency increase the number of bills needed for everyday purchases. The situation is set to get worse. Inflation, already the fastest in the world, could end the year at 150 percent, said the official.
The government stopped releasing regular economic statistics in December, when it reported inflation had reached 69 percent.
A customer would need at least 1,280 bank notes to purchase a 24-inch Samsung television on sale at a mall in eastern Caracas for 128,000 bolivars. Some banks, meanwhile, have reduced daily withdrawal limits at ATMs because of shortages of the highest denominated notes.
Exchange RatesThe country is not planning to change it’s three-tiered exchange rate system in the short term, said the official, adding that the government is working on plans to increase dollar revenue by developing mining and petrochemical projects and reduce its dependence on oil.
One dollar is currently worth 725 bolivars on the black market, which Venezuelans use when they can’t get government approval to purchase foreign currency at the three official exchange rates of 6.3, 12.8 and 200.
Venezuela’s monthly minimum wage of 7,422 bolivars equates to about $37 at the weakest legal exchange rate and is only $10 at the black market rate...
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