CB ready to issue new currency notes for old

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has focused attention on soiled currency notes running into millions of rupees being circulated all over the country, a spokesman for CBSL said. He said the public could now produce the notes to the nearest bank and obtain new notes.

A large number of soiled defaced and torn notes including those in the denomination of Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 are still being used by people in their daily transactions. Central Bank, Deputy Governor, Ananda Silva told the Sunday Observer that although this matter was brought to the notice of the public on several occasions, many of them turned a blind eye to the repeated requests.

He said the Central bank will open counters at popular places to provide new notes for soiled, defaced and torn notes.

"We received a large number of such currency notes to the value of over Rs.400,000 during the first seven days at the Deyata Kirula exhibition in Anuradhapura and this would encourage us to open Central Bank stalls at almost every exhibition in future to collect such soiled notes".

Villagers in Anuradhapura also had the rarely used Rs.200 notes, in their possession.

The Deputy CB Governor called upon all officials, bus conductors, railway station masters, shops and hoteliers to help make this program a success.