Maputo — The governor of Bank of Mozambique, Rogério Zandamela, has announced that the new series of notes and coins of the Metical, the national currency, have been circulating throughout the country since midnight on Sunday.
According to Zandamela, there is no reason for concern, because "the new notes will circulate at the same time as the old ones. There's no need to panic. The old notes are also good notes. They have the same value', he said.
He explained that the new notes also have embossed printing, a feature that makes it easier for visually impaired people to identify the value of each note.
The new notes "will be almost impossible to copy. Those machines that are out there copying the metical are going to go the wrong way. The new 2024 series has benefitted from the technological advances that have taken place in recent years in the area of banknote printing and coin minting', he said.
Zandamela also said that it is still the responsibility of all citizens to ensure that Metical notes and coins are preserved, despite the improvements made in this new series.
"Avoid folding, scratching or writing on the new notes', he said.
The new notes have much the same design as the old ones - including a portrait of the country's first President, Samora Machel, and images of Mozambican wildlife. The main differences are enhanced security features to avoid counterfeiting
Zandamela said the launch of the new series coincides with the 64th anniversary of the Mueda massacre, which took place on 16 June 1960 in the northern province Cabo Delgado, when colonial forces gunned down unarmed protestors in the town of Mueda.
"The choice of this date was not by chance, as it was the best way to pay tribute to the citizens who lost their lives, and who consented to many hardships and suffering for the conquest of national independence. Today we celebrate Metical Day. The founders of our nation decided that one of the best ways to honor those who fell, those who lost their lives at the hands of the colonial army, here in Mueda, was to choose 16 June as Metical Day', Zandamela said.
"So we, at the Bank, have this historic responsibility, which the founders of this nation, of this country, placed in us, to ensure that we have a stable currency, a strong metical. That's why we're here', he added.
