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Banks to Submit Bids for Second Yuan Auction

Published

6 years ago

on

yuan
  • Banks to Submit Bids for Second Yuan Auction

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has asked banks to submit bids for the Chinese yuan in line with the regulator’s determination to meet foreign exchange demands at the retail end of the market.

The second auction of the Asian currency, which will likely take place this week, became exigent after the CBN agreed a swap with the People’s Bank of China in May.

The CBN sold 69.86 million yuan ($10.16 million) in its first auction of the Chinese currency two weeks ago.

The regulator bank, in July, launched the sale of foreign exchange in Chinese Yuan (CNY), signalling the consummation of the Nigeria-China Currency Swap Agreement.

Its acting Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, said the sale would be done through a combination of Spot and Short Tenored Forwards, adding that the sale would be conducted through a Special Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) window.

He explained that the window would be dedicated to the payment of Renminbi Denominated Letters of Credit for raw materials, machinery and agriculture. He said: “Due to the peculiarity of the exercise, the CBN will not be applying the relevant provisions of its Revised Guidelines for the Operation of Inter-Bank Foreign Exchange Market, that is the guidelines which direct that SMIS bids be submitted to CBN through Forex Primary Dealers.

“The CBN will also not be applying the guidelines, which provide that Spot FX sold to any particular end-user shall not exceed 1 per cent of the overall available funds on offer at each SMIS session.”

On the bid period, Okorafor said authorised dealers were requested to submit their customers’ bids from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on weekdays, adding that any bid received after the stipulated time would be disqualified.

On funding, he said authorised dealers were to debit the customers’ accounts for the Naira equivalent of their bids. He added that the CBN would debit authorised dealers’ current account on the day of intervention to the tune of the Naira equivalent of their bid request. Okorafor explained that there would be no predetermined spread on the sale of CNY by authorised dealers to end-users under the Special SMIS-Retail window. He said authorised dealers would, however, be allowed to earn 50 kobo on the customers’ bids.

He advised customers, who are not willing to accept the settlement terms not to participate in the Special SMIS – Retail, adding that Forward Bids would be settled through a multiple-price book building process and would cut-off at a marginal rate to be disclosed after the conclusion of the Special SMIS Retail process.

He also urged customers not willing to accept the terms of the forward rate not to participate in the Special Chinese Yuan SMIS Intervention.

According to Okorafor, the CBN reserved the right not to make a sale if it had the impression that the exercise did not provide effective price for the determination of the CNY to NGN exchange rate.

The Federal Government on April 27 signed a 2.5-billion-dollar Currency Swap Agreement with the People’s Bank of China. The primary aim is to provide adequate local currency liquidity to Nigerian and Chinese industrialists and assist both countries in their foreign exchange reserves management.

Is the CEO and Founder of Investors King Limited. He is a seasoned foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and other prominent platforms. With over two decades of experience in global financial markets, Olukoya is well-recognized in the industry.

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Insurance

Senate Passes Bill to Bolster Nigeria Deposit Insurance, Protect Depositors’ Funds

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5 hours ago

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October 30, 2024

By

Insurance - Investors King

The Nigerian Senate has taken a significant step to safeguard depositors and promote trust in the country’s banking system by passing a bill to enhance the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

The Senate passed the bill on Tuesday, October 29, during its plenary.

Senator Adetokunbo Abiru (APC-Lagos), who sponsored the bill titled “The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation Act 2023” said the bill aims to strengthen the country’s financial system.

According to him, the amendment of the NDIC bill will not only ensure the safety of depositors’ funds but also the stability of financial institutions and promote trust in the banking sector.

Abiru said, “The Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is a critical piece of legislation aimed at strengthening the Nigerian financial system.

“The proposed amendments will enhance the NDIC’s capacity to safeguard depositors, ensure the stability of financial institutions, and promote trust in the banking system.

“Given the rapidly evolving nature of the financial sector, this Bill represents a timely response to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

He added that the bill seeks to empower the corporation by guaranteeing its independence in performing its statutory functions per Section 1 (3) of the principal Act.

“The principal (2023) Act restricts the President’s power to appoint the Managing Director and Executive Directors, requiring recommendations from the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor.

“The 2024 bill now seeks to align this provision with the President’s appointment powers as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

“The Act’s provision that makes the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, the Chairman of the Board is also under review due to the demands on that office.

“Furthermore, the bill introduces a requirement for the Minister of Finance to constitute an Interim Management Committee for the Corporation within 30 days after the Board’s term expires or is terminated.

“This is to prevent challenges in the Corporation’s operations caused by the absence of a board.”

The bill, which received the support of all members, was approved following the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and Other Financial Institutions’ report review.

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Banking Sector

No System Upgrade Currently Underway, First Bank Tells Customers 

Published

5 days ago

on

October 25, 2024

By

FirstBank Headquarter - Investors King

One of the leading first generational banks in Nigeria, First Bank has clarified that it is not embarking on any system upgrade as erroneously reported in the social media.

Many of the commercial bank’s customers have expressed concerns over possible disruptions in banking transactions as fake report filtered that First Bank was upgrading its services.

Some had said there might be difficulties in withdrawing money or using the applications of the bank for their transactions.

Meanwhile, clarifying the misleading reports, First Bank assured its customers of seamless banking operations.

Maintaining that there is no system upgrade underway, a statement issued by the management and obtained by Investors King on Friday explained that the misrepresented statement was intended to its vendors only.

It said the step was focused on transitioning from its current I-Supplier Platform to a new Cloud-Based Supplier for improved benefits for its vendors.

“We wish to address a misleading report circulating in the media regarding a system upgrade at FirstBank.

“The message which was incorrectly interpreted and reported was sent to, and intended for our vendors only and focused on transitioning from our current I-Supplier Platform (our automated platform that connects us to suppliers) to a new Cloud-based Supplier Platform (worldclass platform for managing suppliers), to enable additional capabilities and benefits for our vendors.

“Please be informed that no system upgrade is currently underway, and all our customer applications are fully operational. We are not experiencing disruption to our services, and our banking systems, customer transactions, channels, etc, will not be affected by the enhanced supplier platform.

“Rest assured that our commitment to seamless service delivery remains unwavering as you continue to enjoy uninterrupted access to our services,” the statement reads.

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Loans

NNPC Has Started Settling $6bn Debt to Foreign Suppliers— Wale Edun

Published

6 days ago

on

October 24, 2024

By

NNPC - Investors King

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun has said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has commenced the repayment of $6 billion debt owed to suppliers.

Edun made this announcement during a meeting with investors in the U.S. capital on the sidelines of the 2024 annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

The revelation came amidst growing concerns about the NNPC’s financial stability and its capacity to sustain petrol supply to the domestic market.

The company had previously acknowledged owing suppliers of premium motor spirit (PMS).

Addressing the issue of ongoing foreign exchange subsidies, Minister Edun clarified that “In terms of NNPC and their situation, the reality is that, although the subsidy on May 29, 2023, was removed and was no longer on the balance sheet of the government, it did rear its head, not in terms of petrol subsidy, but foreign exchange subsidy, which was borne elsewhere, and borne mainly by NNPC,” the minister said.

Mr Edun also expressed optimism about the company’s future.

“I think what I can say about their own situation is with where they are now, they have a route to paying down their payables and I’m sure that in no time at all, they will start.

“From what I understand, they have even commenced the process of paying down their payables,”he said.

The NNPC had some months ago acknowledged that it was owing the money, but admitted it was remitting money into the purse of the country.

“But NNPC Ltd., through its subsidiary, NNPC Trading, has many open trade credit lines from several traders.

“The company is paying its obligations of related invoices on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis,” he said.

“It is not correct to say that NNPC Ltd. has not remitted any money to the Federation Account since January. NNPC Ltd. and all its subsidiaries remit their taxes to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) regularly.

“This is in addition to payments of CIT to road contractors under the Road Investment Tax Credit Scheme. In all, NNPC Ltd. is the largest contributor to the tax revenue shared every month at the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC),” the NNPC had said in a statement in August.

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