Minskers deposit (!). And keep complaining…
What are Belarusians queuing in banks worried about?
“Our kid is ready to go to school now – that’s it. I was buying erasers yesterday and I asked the sales-assistant if I could buy only one of them. And she said - buy as many as you like: people have no money now so I do not sell them in sets of two anymore. Is it okay for a backpack to cost 580 thousands? Everything has become so expensive. The trousers cost 200 thousands and the boots – 300!” – complains a woman queuing in “Belarusbank”.
A Euroradio reporter queued in Minsk banks to find out what people were talking about and why they were queuing.
The majority of them needed to pay their bills, to receive pensions and to try to buy some foreign currency. I was surprised to see people depositing (!). And they kept complaining…
An old woman deposited one million roubles to the deposit “Your choice”.
“Belarusbank” teller says that people hardly withdraw money. They deposit:
“Why should they withdraw money? What will they do with it? It would be a revolution if they did so. Who would allow a revolution? Nobody would”.
They deposit in “Technobank” too:
“They do not withdraw anymore. They even deposit. The most popular deposits are for 1095 and 1825 days (11%). It is a foreign currency deposit”.
Euroradio talked to a couple of pensioners who were not going to withdraw Belarusian roubels. They complained about the increasing prices but said that they did not give way to panic.
“We have withdrawn as much as we need until the next pension. The rest is deposited. If it were a dollar deposit! We would gain something if we withdrew. What will I do with the rubles? If we withdraw 5 millions… what will we do with it? Should we wait for a robber?”
Let us remind you that Belarusian PM Mihail Myasnikovich said the other day that the population’s deposits totalled 3.5 billion dollars. According to the National Bank, the population’s deposits have increased by 841 billion roubles in July and by 926 billion – a month before. It means that the influx of the national currency to banks has decreased.
People are still hoping to buy foreign currency in banks! An elderly woman was trying to buy Russian roubles to go to her granddaughter’s birthday in Moscow. However, they advised that she should write an application and attach the granddaughter’s birth-certificate to it… Then she may be allowed to buy a small sum of Russian roubles.
The most popular questions asked in banks now are: “When will it be possible to turn rouble deposits into foreign currency deposits?” and “When will the dollar exchange rate increase?”
— Can I help you?
— When will the dollar become more expensive?
— It was told to you all yesterday!
— What? You mean the fact that the dollar will be floating? I guess we all will be floating too…
People are complaining in queues and deposit money – and that’s not it! Some people give the teller money so that she could buy a cup of coffee! A “flabby” man is giving a 20-thousad rouble banknote to the teller.
Teller: What are you going to do with the money?
Man: And what would you like to do with it?
Teller: I am asking you what you want me to do with it.
Man: Do whatever you like- buy a cup of coffee.
The world has gone crazy together with the banks…
