Swiss franc continues appreciation, hits record RON 4.5152/CHF

Newsroom 22/01/2015 | 14:15

The Swiss franc (CHF) gained yet another 0.2 percent against the Romanian leu (RON) on Thursday, reaching the record level of RON 4.5152/CHF, according to the official exchange rate announced by Romania’s central bank. The same day the euro and the dollar dropped to RON 4.5005/EUR and RON 3.8721/USD.

The CHF appreciation comes after on January 15 the Swiss bank abandoned its currency cap against the euro. The following day the CHF was up by a 15.7 percent against the RON and reached RON 4.3287/CHF. The upward trend has continued ever since.

It is estimated that around 75,000 Romanians have to repay loans in Swiss francs. Most of these are mortgage loans taken out before the crisis. The average monthly installment for such a credit is approximately CHF 500 – CHF 600 which means debtors have to pay by about RON 300 – RON 500 more each month.