Commercial banks are facing an unavailability of US dollars and are unable to deliver to customers the amount requested during money withdrawals. Due to this situation, customers and bank tellers are at loggerheads. Customers complain that commercial banks do not want to give them their money.
Port-au-Prince, May 20, 2024- Over the past two weeks, the country has faced an enormous scarcity of the greenback on the market. This shortage caused clashes between customers and officials of commercial banks in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince. Banks are forced to restrict or simply refuse requests for greenbacks to cope with this cash shortage.
Citizens vent their frustration
It is 11 a.m., we are in the branch of a commercial bank in the capital. The atmosphere here is not very friendly. A very frustrated customer makes hostile comments towards those in charge. At the root of this situation, the lady wanted to withdraw $250 from her bank account but was told that the withdrawal cannot exceed $50.
“Give me all my money, I want to close my account.” Why is the withdrawal process limited, while there are no restrictions when it comes to deposits?”, the lady complains. “I arrived at the bank very early this morning, I need the greenbacks and I do not intend to leave the premises before being served,” she continues in a very angry tone.
Customers are at their wits’ end over the refusal of commercial bank officials in several banks in the country. The observation remains the same in almost all commercial banks.
Commercial banks in the spotlight
In another bank in Pétion-Ville, at the entrance barrier, a security agent conveys the message to everyone before entering. “This branch doesn’t have any greenbacks for today,” he shouts three times. An announcement despised by customers despite everything.
A young mother met at the main entrance did not stop complaining. “It has already been two weeks since I visited all the branches of this bank with the idea of making a withdrawal from my dollar account to be able to cover the costs for a plane ticket, but without success.” In some branches, I am offered 50 or 100 dollars, while in others the managers inform the customers that they do not have a greenback,” says this lady.
“This scarcity of dollars is a policy. It is for us in the middle class that there are no dollars but for others, withdrawing 1000 US dollars from your bank account is just a formality, deplores this citizen met at the same place.
In certain cases, the bank requires the customer, in lieu of giving the required amount in dollars, to make the withdrawal in gourdes in relation to the rate set by the BRH. A strategy deplored by customers.
With banks almost no longer delivering US dollars to customers, most stores and private businesses price their services in US currency. Buying or finding the dollar remains rain in the desert.
Since the resurgence of insecurity with the offensive of armed gangs in the capital on February 29, leading to a multifaceted crisis, all sectors of national life have been affected by this situation. Thus causing the reduction in the quantity of currency (US dollar and gourde) in circulation, negatively impacts the lifestyle of the population, the local economic and financial sector.
Therefore, the central bank asked dollar depositors to use other means of payment available to them to overcome this problem. Executive checks and checks from abroad, transfers from one bank account to another, SPIH transfers from one bank to another, transfers abroad and for current account holders and checks drawn on their account are, among other things, the means mentioned by the BRH.
Mederson ALCINDOR
Vant Bèf Info (VBI)
