Following the ban on the sale of foreign exchange (FX) to bureau de change operators in the country, they have vowed to seek alternative sources of obtaining FX as contained in rules governing their operations.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) earlier in the week banned the sale of FX to BDCs citing abuse and graft by the operators.
However, on Thursday, the Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) said though the ban was such a huge setback, they are still providing foreign exchange services.
In a statement, the association said while the dollar sale from the CBN had helped in enhancing supply, the fact remained that BDCs were empowered to source forex from other sources and also to provide various services to members of the public.
ABCON President, Aminu Gwadabe, who signed the statement, noted that the recent pronouncement of the CBN did not stop BDCs from providing forex services as allowed by their operating licences.
He said the association would engage with the CBN to address and resolve all the issues that led to the stoppage of foreign exchange sales to BDC operators.
“BDCs are licensed to provide retail FX services, including buying from the public and also selling to end-users for allowable transactions, namely personal travel allowance, business travel allowance, payment of medical and school fees,” Gwadabe said.
“While the CBN has stopped dollar sale to BDCs, it has not cancelled their operating licences or banned them from providing FX services to members of the public.
“At ABCON, we urge our members to see the CBN pronouncement has a wakeup call and opportunity to widen their customer base and deepen their business.
“ABCON has always worked with the CBN to ensure proper working of the FX market and in line with this principle, we will engage with the apex bank to address and resolve all the issues that led to the recent action, including identification and sanctioning of earring BDCs, where necessary.
“In addition to this, and in view of the fact that BDCs have been very effective in ensuring stable exchange rate, ABCON will work with relevant stakeholders including law enforcement agencies to develop a National BDC Policy with the aim of enhancing the contribution of the BDC subsector to the nation’s economy.”
