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Argentina to Sell Dollars on Parallel Market as Part of Anti-inflation Drive

Argentina's President Javier Milei attends an event commemorating the 208th anniversary of the country's independence from Spain in 1816, in Buenos Aires, Argentina July 9, 2024. REUTERS/Matias Baglietto
Argentina's President Javier Milei attends an event commemorating the 208th anniversary of the country's independence from Spain in 1816, in Buenos Aires, Argentina July 9, 2024. REUTERS/Matias Baglietto
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Argentina to Sell Dollars on Parallel Market as Part of Anti-inflation Drive

Argentina's President Javier Milei attends an event commemorating the 208th anniversary of the country's independence from Spain in 1816, in Buenos Aires, Argentina July 9, 2024. REUTERS/Matias Baglietto
Argentina's President Javier Milei attends an event commemorating the 208th anniversary of the country's independence from Spain in 1816, in Buenos Aires, Argentina July 9, 2024. REUTERS/Matias Baglietto

Argentina's central bank will start selling US dollars in the country's parallel foreign exchange markets in an effort to combat inflation and freeze the country's money supply, the government said.
Economy Minister Luis Caputo announced the new strategy on messaging platform X on Saturday, saying it would "contribute to deepening the disinflation process."
Starting Monday, when Argentina's central bank issues pesos to buy US dollars on the formal exchange market, the bank will effectively balance Argentina's monetary base by selling an equivalent amount of dollars on the parallel "CCL" exchange market, Reuters quoted Caputo as saying.
"There are no more pesos printed in Argentina by any means. It is a historic novelty," Caputo later said in a radio interview. "We were beating inflation by (a few) points and this is the 'knock out' blow," the minister added.
The announcement comes after official data published on Friday showed a five-month streak of slowing inflation ended in June when monthly inflation came in higher than in May.
The strategy outlined by the government of President Javier Milei aims to stabilize the money supply, bring down inflation and help close the widening gap between Argentina's official and parallel exchange rates traded in financial markets.
The South American country's peso has been sliding since the beginning of the year in parallel markets, which for years has diverged sharply from the official rate due to strict currency controls.
At Friday's close, the official exchange rate traded at 919.5 pesos per dollar, while the so-called "CCL" rate traded at 1,416.2 pesos per dollar. Meanwhile, the widely-used black market "blue" rate weakened to a historic low of 1,500 pesos per dollar on Friday.
Milei celebrated Saturday's announcement from the sidelines of the Sun Valley Conference, investment bank Allen & Co's annual invitation-only gathering in Sun Valley, Idaho, where the president and Caputo are courting investors.
"The monetary base in Argentina is no longer increasing, and this is tremendously powerful news," Milei said during a phone interview with Argentine news channel LN+, adding that the plan would "accelerate the deflation process in the economy."
Since Milei took power late last year, inflation has slowed dramatically in Argentina, decelerating from 25.5% in December to 4.2% in May. June's figure was 4.6%.

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Business

Egypt Plans $1 Billion Red Sea Marina, Hotel Development

This picture shows a partial view of Egypt's Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh, October 7, 2025. (AFP)
This picture shows a partial view of Egypt's Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh, October 7, 2025. (AFP)
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Egypt Plans $1 Billion Red Sea Marina, Hotel Development

This picture shows a partial view of Egypt's Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh, October 7, 2025. (AFP)
This picture shows a partial view of Egypt's Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh, October 7, 2025. (AFP)

Egypt announced plans on Monday for a new $1 billion marina, hotel and housing development on the Red Sea in a bid to boost the region's tourist industry.

Construction on the "Monte Galala Towers and Marina" project would ‌start in ‌the second ‌half ⁠of the ‌year and run for seven years, Ahmed Shalaby, managing director of the main developer, Tatweer Misr, said.

The 10-tower development - a partnership with the ⁠housing ministry and other state bodies ‌including the armed ‍forces' engineering authority - ‍would cost about 50 ‍billion Egyptian pounds ($1.07 billion), he added.

The project, also announced by the cabinet, will cover 470,000 square meters on the Gulf of Suez, about ⁠35 km south of Ain Sokhna, Shalaby said.

Egypt aims to boost total tourist arrivals to around 30 million by 2030, from around 19 million recorded by the tourism ministry in 2025.

Business

Saudi-Polish Investment Forum Explores Prospects for Economic and Investment Cooperation

The forum brought together government officials, business leaders, and investors from both countries with the aim of enhancing economic cooperation - SPA
The forum brought together government officials, business leaders, and investors from both countries with the aim of enhancing economic cooperation - SPA
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Saudi-Polish Investment Forum Explores Prospects for Economic and Investment Cooperation

The forum brought together government officials, business leaders, and investors from both countries with the aim of enhancing economic cooperation - SPA
The forum brought together government officials, business leaders, and investors from both countries with the aim of enhancing economic cooperation - SPA

The Saudi-Polish Investment Forum was held today at the headquarters of the Federation of Saudi Chambers in Riyadh, with the participation of Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Domański, and Vice President of the Federation of Saudi Chambers Emad Al-Fakhri.

The forum brought together government officials, business leaders, and investors from both countries with the aim of enhancing economic cooperation, expanding investment partnerships in priority sectors, and exploring high-quality investment opportunities that support sustainable growth in Saudi Arabia and Poland.

During a dedicated session, the forum reviewed economic and investment prospects in both countries through presentations highlighting promising opportunities, investment enablers, and supportive legislative environments.

Several specialized roundtables addressed strategic themes, including the development of the digital economy, with a focus on information and communication technologies (ICT), financial technologies (fintech), and artificial intelligence-driven innovation, SPA reported.

Discussions also covered the development of agricultural value chains from production to market access through advanced technologies, food processing, and agricultural machinery. In addition, participants examined ways to enhance the construction sector by developing systems and materials, improving execution efficiency, and accelerating delivery timelines. Energy security issues and the role of industrial sectors in supporting economic transformation and sustainability were also discussed.

The forum witnessed the announcement of two major investment agreements. The first aims to establish a framework for joint cooperation in supporting investment, exchanging information and expertise, and organizing joint business events to strengthen institutional partnerships.

The second agreement focuses on supporting reciprocal investments through the development of financing and insurance tools and the stimulation of joint ventures to boost investment flows.

The forum concluded by emphasizing the importance of continued coordination and dialogue between the public and private sectors in both countries to deepen Saudi-Polish economic relations and advance shared interests.

Business

Gold Rises as Dollar Slips, Focus Turns to US Jobs Data

FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
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Gold Rises as Dollar Slips, Focus Turns to US Jobs Data

FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo

Gold prices rose on Monday, buoyed by a softer dollar as investors braced for a week packed with US economic data that could offer more clues on the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy.

Spot gold rose 1.2% to $5,018.56 per ounce by 9:30 a.m. ET (1430 GMT), extending a 4% rally from Friday.

US gold futures for April delivery also gained 1.3% to $5,042.20 per ounce.

The US dollar fell 0.8% to a more than one-week low, making greenback-priced bullion cheaper for overseas buyers.

"The big mover today (in gold prices) is the US dollar," said Bart Melek, global head of commodity strategy at TD Securities, adding that expectations are growing for weak economic data, particularly on the labor front, Reuters reported.

Investors are closely watching this week's release of US nonfarm payrolls, consumer prices and initial jobless claims for fresh signals on monetary policy, with markets already pricing in at least two rate cuts of 25 basis points in 2026.

US nonfarm payrolls are expected to have risen by 70,000 in January, according to a Reuters poll.

Lower interest rates tend to support gold by reducing the opportunity cost of holding the non-yielding asset.

Meanwhile, China's central bank extended its gold buying spree for a 15th month in January, data from the People's Bank of China showed on Saturday.

"The debasement trade continues, with ongoing geopolitical risks driving people into gold," Melek said, adding that China's purchases have had a psychological impact on the market.

Spot silver climbed 2.9% to $80.22 per ounce after a near 10% gain in the previous session. It hit an all-time high of $121.64 on January 29.

Spot platinum was down 0.2% at $2,092.95 per ounce, while palladium was steady at $1,707.25.

"A slowdown in EV sales hasn't really materialized despite all the policy softening, so I do see that platinum and palladium will possibly slow down," after a bullish run in 2025, WisdomTree commodities strategist Nitesh Shah said.