Ukrainian central bank issues biggest currency liberalisation since 2022 invasion

Aug 11 (Reuters) - Ukraine's central bank announced on Monday the biggest currency liberalisation measures since the February 2022 launch of the full-scale Russian invasion of the country in an effort to boost business and investor confidence.

The regulations, issued late in the evening, provide significant increases in allowances in purchases of foreign currency and withdrawals from Ukrainian bank accounts.

The monthly amount permitted for purchasing non-cash currency and investments, bank metals and foreign securities was increased fourfold from 50,000 to 200,000 Ukrainian hryvnias ($4,450).

The daily limit for cash withdrawals from accounts in Ukraine and abroad was doubled to 200,000 hryvnias.

And the monthly limit for transactions from cards denominated in hryvnias was raised to 200,000 hryvnias.

"The package for easing currency restrictions includes a strong component that makes life easier for Ukrainians abroad and expands opportunities for citizens living in Ukraine," the central bank said in a statement.

The bank said the measures "will not create risks for the stability of the currency market, given the established conditions and careful analysis of each individual measure". 

The measures, it said, had "already been taken into account in the NBU's updated macroeconomic forecast, which predicts that international reserves will grow to nearly 70 billion USD by 2026".

(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Stephen Coates)