Siavonga area Member of Parliament (MP) Kennedy Hamudulu has called for calm among the general public as the deadline for the usage of old currency approaches.
Mr Hamududu said that there is only 30 days remaining to transact in old notes and thereafter, there is still a provision for the general public to exchange their old currency from commercial banks up to the end of this year.
“Its only at the point of transacting that it will no longer be tenable but people still have time to go to the banks and exchange their old currency for the new notes up to the end of this year,” said Hamudulu.
The parliamentarian said people can exchange their old money through business transactions now as it is still a legal tender up to the end of this month (June).
Mr Hamudulu said this in an interview with ZANIS in Siavonga yesterday.
Mr Hamudulu however, called on the Bank of Zambia to intensify its sensitization programs in order to educate the public on the phasing out of the old currency in circulation.
Mr Hamudulu said that the Bank of Zambia should also take stock of the remaining old currency in circulation especially in rural areas.
“I think there might be some people in the remote areas who would want Bank of Zambia to extend the use of old currency up to December, I’m sure there is need to find out exactly how much money is still uncorrected from the rural communities,” suggested Hamudulu.
Meanwhile some traders and villagers in Siavonga district have called on the Bank of Zambia to introduce the mobile banks in the area to enable them discard their old notes for the rebased ones.
They said this will allow them to change their monies freely and avoid congestion at the only bank in the area, the Zambia National Commercial bank (ZANACO).
The villager’s also appealed to other people who have learned how to use the rebased money to help them and ensure that they don’t get cheated by unscrupulous people.
The Bank of Zambia has designated 30th June 2013 as the last day for the usage of the old currency as a medium of exchange at all points of sale.
ZANIS
