* Gov't currency crackdown makes Argentines nervous * Dollar deposit withdrawals slowly resume * Deposits had been steady after sinking in November By Jorge Otaola and Walter Bianchi BUENOS AIRES, May 18 (Reuters) - Argentines are starting to withdraw dollar deposits from banks at a slow but noticeable pace due to tougher government currency controls that have sunk the peso on the black market, several banking sources said on Friday. The tax agency has sharply limited permission for foreign currency purchases at the official exchange rate, which has sent many individuals and small business people to seek greenbacks on the parallel market. The spread between the black-market rate and the official rate has widened to 26 percent from 15 percent a week earlier, creating uncertainty that has led savers to withdraw as much as 1 percent of the system's dollar deposits per day. "The withdrawals are about $110 million to $130 million a day," a trader at a private, Spanish-controlled bank said. Dollar deposits totaled just above $13 billion in early May, according to central bank data . Burned by spates of heavy government intervention and financial turmoil over decades, Argentines tend to save in dollars and they often smuggle them out of the country as well to dodge taxes. "The drain is much less significant than what we had in November, but it's clear there is a decline in dollar deposits. There's also a decline in pesos but it's much smaller," the trader said on condition of anonymity. Central bank officials declined to comment. The bank will release deposit information through May 11 later on Friday. Argentina's banking system shed 17 percent of its dollar deposits in November, just after newly re-elected President Cristina Fernandez imposed strict new rules on foreign currency purchases, requiring prior approval from the tax agency. The move was aimed at curbing capital flight and protecting central bank foreign reserves, which are used to pay government debt. But it conjured up ugly memories of bank deposit freezes and a currency devaluation from the 2001-02 economic crisis. Since late November, dollar deposits have been steady. But the skittishness is back. "There are often rumors that the government could try to appropriate these (dollar) deposits to meet its own needs. But only a huge blunder could lead to such a decision," Finsoport economic consultancy said in a report this week. The peso closed on Thursday at 5.56/5.59 per dollar on the black market, compared with 4.45/4.4525 per dollar on the formal, interbank market. (Writing by Hilary Burke; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

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