Community members in Mwanza have been assured that the K50 and K20 bank notes are still in use in the country and that they are produced by the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) to ensure the currency is locally available.
The assurance was made by the RBM Currency and Operations Manager Samuel Senzani at an awareness meeting on Monday organized by the central bank in conjunction with Mwanza Police aimed at sensitizing stakeholders in the district on the importance of the K50 and K20 bank notes, care, their identities and availability of the Malawi currency.
“Everyone has the right to use any form of money whether coins or paper, in large or small value,” said Senzani.
He then condemned the tendency of some business community members in the district who refuse to receive K50 and K20 from customers and those who give change in the form of sweet instead of hard cash saying doing so is an infringement of customers rights.
The meeting which was attended by traditional leaders, traditional healers, the clergy, masters and mistresses of ceremonies, business community representatives and the police was also an opportunity for the central bank to find out why some people are denying such small notes.
In an interview, Reverend Frackson Kathumba who attended the meeting called upon fellow clergy to refrain from threatening their followers that God will not bless them if they bring the small bank notes to the church saying such behaviour is giving the impression that the small bank notes are useless.
“Let people bring whatever little they have as long as it is coming from deep down their hearts because God will not refuse it,” said Kathumba.
In a separate interview, a business lady who sells second-hand clothes at Chipatala Market in the district Grace Suliya commended the RBM for organizing the meeting saying it was an eye opener for her as she will start now using the K50 and K20 as recommended currency.
“Sometimes things happen because of ignorance but following this sensitisation, I am going to share the same message with my fellow business operators who have not been with us at this meeting,” said Suliya.
Mwanza Police Public Relations Officer Superintendent Hope Kasakula pledged that police and stakeholders will scale up the awareness campaign to the rest of the areas of the district on issues like counterfeit money so that the communities should be alert.
“It is everyones responsibility to ensure that there is compliance on use and protection of our currency,” Kasakula.
