▁official ▁foreign ▁trade , ▁continued ▁to ▁maintain ▁a ▁highly ▁artificial ▁exchange ▁rate ▁with ▁Western ▁curr encies . ▁The ▁exchange ▁rate ▁w ors ened ▁dist ort ions ▁in ▁the ▁economy ▁at ▁all ▁levels , ▁resulting ▁in ▁a ▁growing ▁black ▁market ▁and ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁short age ▁economy . ▁The ▁only ▁way ▁for ▁an ▁individual ▁to ▁buy ▁most ▁Western ▁goods ▁was ▁to ▁use ▁Western ▁curr encies , ▁not ably ▁the ▁U . S . ▁doll ar , ▁which ▁in ▁effect ▁became ▁a ▁parallel ▁currency . ▁However , ▁it ▁could ▁not ▁simply ▁be ▁ex changed ▁at ▁the ▁official ▁banks ▁for ▁Polish ▁z ł ot ys , ▁since ▁the ▁government ▁exchange ▁rate ▁under valu ed ▁the ▁doll ar ▁and ▁placed ▁heavy ▁restrictions ▁on ▁the ▁amount ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁ex changed , ▁and ▁so ▁the ▁only ▁practical ▁way ▁to ▁obtain ▁it ▁was ▁from ▁rem itt ances ▁or ▁work ▁outside ▁the ▁country . ▁An ▁entire ▁illegal ▁industry ▁of ▁street - cor ner ▁money ▁chang ers ▁emer ged ▁as ▁a ▁result . ▁The ▁so - called ▁C ink ci ar ze ▁gave ▁clients ▁far ▁better ▁than ▁official ▁exchange ▁rate ▁and ▁became ▁wealth y ▁from ▁their ▁opportun ism ▁al beit ▁at ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁pun ishment , ▁usually ▁dimin ished ▁by ▁the ▁wide ▁scale ▁b ri ber y ▁of ▁the ▁Milit ia . ▁ ▁As ▁Western ▁currency ▁came ▁into ▁the ▁country ▁from ▁em igr ant ▁families ▁and ▁foreign ▁workers , ▁the ▁government ▁in ▁turn ▁attempted ▁to ▁gather ▁it ▁up ▁by ▁various ▁means , ▁most ▁vis ibly ▁by ▁establish ing ▁a