Rush to change old currencies

Ho, Dec. 28, GNA-Individuals, especially businessmen in the Ho Municipality have begun rushing to have their old cedis changed for the Ghana cedis to meet the December 31 deadline.

The Ghana News Agency spotted hundreds of people including nurses, teachers and businessmen in long queues waiting to have their old cedis changed at the Ghana Commercial Bank on Friday.

Mr Anim Yeboah, Deputy Manager of the Bank told the GNA that the queue started as early as 0730 hours before the Bank started work. He said though the pressure was making service delivery slow, work was going on smoothly.

Mr Yeboah said the Bank had no service condition, adding that it was serving everybody, including account holders and non-account holders and was changing any denomination.

He said the rush was as a result of misinformation that the banks would not take the old cedis after December 31, 2007 and called for more education on the changeover.

" People especially those in the rural communities still do not understand the change over campaign therefore needed to be educated, - we will still collect old cedis after December 31, 2007', Mr Yeboah said.

Meanwhile some individuals and super market operators have complained of their inability to change the old cedis for the new Ghana cedis at some banks in the town.

Madam Jane Addo, Owner of "Chop Better" a popular supermarket in town said she was turned away from changing her old cedis for the new Ghana cedis at the National Investment Bank (NIB) because she had no account there.

Mr Ransford Odenkey Abbey, Volta Regional Manager of the NIB confirmed the story but explained that the period for " general change over" had elapsed and that only people who has accounts with the bank could have their old cedis change to the new Ghana cedi after they had deposited the money in their accounts.