YEREVAN, May 4. /ARKA/. Armenia’s national currency, the dram, has not been affected by the "velvet revolution", head of the National Union of Employers Gagik Makaryan told ARKA.

According to him, one of the reasons was the low demand, because people reduced their purchases, and there were no reasons for the sharp jumps in the exchange rate. The Central Bank may have also intervened to help preserve the exchange rate, he said.

Makaryan said the central bank should regulate the amount of currency exported from the country, so that there is no deficit for importers, but there should be no artificial shortage, as was in the past.

The expert also noted that with the stabilization and activation of the Armenian economy, the exchange rate of the national currency may increase.

The US dollar exchange rate in early April was 480.23 drams, rising to 483.32 drams by the end of the month. From April 23, the dollar showed a noticeable growth and now it is trading at 484.71 drams. -0-