The regulator said that legal entities purchased hard currency worth US$2.2 billion (76% of total purchased currency) to import industrial goods, US$358 million (12%) to repay foreign loans, US$238 million (8%) to import consumer goods and medicaments and US$88 million (3%) to repatriate income of foreign investors.

It added that number of enterprises, which bought hard currency for less than US$1 million, increased each month – 1,500 entities in September, 1,900 in October, 2,200 in November and 2,500 in December.

At the same time, the business entities sold foreign currency for US$2.9 billion in the last quarter of 2017, the regulator added.

The exported realized hard currency for US$1.5 billion, while the bank realized US$1.4 billion, including resources purchased from the population.

The Central Bank conducted daily currency purchase and sale transactions at the currency exchange auctions to ensure a balance between supply and demand and to prevent sharp fluctuations in the exchange rate.

The Central Bank said that it did not use foreign exchange reserves as the balance between sales and purchase of hard currency was equal.