Appreciation and Depreciation of The Dram
In 2010, the value of the Armenian Dram (AMD) was artificially kept high during the height of the global economic crisis. Had the AMD been allowed to depreciate to its market level, exports would have become more competitive and the purchasing power of the majority of the population who are dependent on remittances from abroad would have increased. Instead, the value of the AMD was kept high, out of a fear of inflation and concern about alienating the powerful government-connected importers of oil, sugar, flour, cigarettes and beverages.
The AMD/USD exchange rate depreciated by 6.1 percent in the first three quarters of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009, before it began to show the expected end-of-the-year appreciation. In comparison between the January to October periods of 2010 and 2009, depreciation stands at 4.7 percent.
Read more about this topic: Economy Of Armenia
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—Charles Horton Cooley (1864–1929)
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—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)