ABCON Cautions FG On France’s Involvement In Eco Currency
The Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria, has advised the Federal Government to be wary of the involvement of France in the Eco currency project.
Giving this advice in the association’s quarterly review for the fourth quarter of 2019, the President, ABCON, Aminu Gwadabe, said that Nigeria should critically examine the role of France in the Eco currency project before taking further decision either to participate or not.
He described the recent decision of the Francophone countries to change the name of their common currency to Eco as worrisome.
Gwadabe warned that it should be seen as an attempt by France to continue its dominant control of the Francophone West African countries economy.
The association stated, “Nigeria must not adopt the currency with France or Euro as the background promoters to avoid enslaving West Africa economically.
“If the prime objective to facilitate cross border trade and economic development of the member states is still to be achieved, the structure of the system must be built on fundamentals in the sub region to compete with other economic blocks.
“Government is encouraged to pursue the project with sincerity of purpose based on sound policies devoid of interference from any economic block. The Central Bank of the sub -region should be independent to invest the reserves in any world currency to satisfy the interest of constituent states.”
Meanwhile, ABCON had called on the Central Bank of Nigeria to address the various factors threatening the profitability of the Bureau de Change business in the country, particularly, “a market structure that exposes a BDC firm to unconventional structure, unfair competition and risk.”
It said the CBN should allow the BDCs to determine what to buy and sell.
Gwadabe said, “Monetary authority determines the BDC firms’ buying rate, but unconcerned with open end of selling rate even though there is a cap. They should be free to determine what to buy and sell like in any market structure.
“Very clearly, the BDC firms’ selling rate is still largely determined by the parallel market rates which is higher in liquidity without any restraint from the authorities to curtail their activities.
“The BDC firm are still largely exposed to several operations and systemic risks which require the appropriate articulation and design of structural adjustments to place them on the right part during the new decade.”
