CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele made this known in Abuja after the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) two-day meeting.

Emefiele, stated that the MPC also retained the Monetary Policy Rate at 11.5 per cent at the end of the meeting.

It also retained the Cash Reserve Ratio and Liquidity Ratio at 27.5 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.

Other decisions taken by the CBN regarding Forex transactions include stoppage of issuance of new licenses for BDCs, which will also affect existing applications for BDC licenses.

Emefiele said, “The MPC made the decision to hold all parameters constant. The committee thought by unanimous vote to retain the Monetary Policy Rate at 11.5 per cent.

“In summary, MPC voted as follows, one, retain MPR at 11.5 per cent; retain the asymmetric corridor of +100/-700 basis points around the MPR; retain the CRR at 27.5 per cent; and retain the Liquidity Ratio at 30 per cent.”

On the decision to stop forex sales to the BDCs, Emefiele said the BDCs had defeated their purpose of existence to provide forex to retail users, but instead, they had become wholesale and illegal dealers.

”We observed that the BDCs have continued to make huge profits while Nigerians suffered in pain.

”The commercial banks would be monitored to provide forex for the legitimate use of Nigerians.

“The Central Bank will henceforth discontinue the sale of forex to Bureau de Change operators,” Emefiele added.