Customers are anxious about getting new currency

Accra, July 3, GNA- A visit to some Banks in the Accra on Tuesday shows that most customers could not have access to the new currency and are queuing to change their monies.

Some customers at the Makola Branch of the International Commercial Bank (ICB), complained of not having access to the new currency. Mr Emmanuel Kojo, contractor of Sand and Stones, complained about not having the new notes when he decided to withdraw money from his account.

"They told me they are short of the new notes, but the coins they gave me are too heavy to carry. How can I carry 700 hundred thousand cedis in coins (70GH Cedi), I don't like this", he said. Another customer at the Bank, Madam Susan said she came to the Bank to withdraw money but she was told the new notes were finish and had waited for close to two hours.

''They said I can get the new coins but I cannot take only coins, it's very heavy to carry since I never made provisions for coins'', she said.

In an interview with Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, Mr Francis Azaglo the Makola Branch Manager of ICB said, there is nothing like shortage of the new notes.

He said the Bank of Ghana already said they should not be any rush to change the old currencies.

"The queue out there is from some anxious people, most are not customers here but they only want to change their old currencies," he said. Mr. Azaglo said they were expecting the situation, adding, "As a nation we are not used to using the coins, so some customers would reject these coins. The Bank can only pay with what is available, but the thing is, we tell them before giving them out,its not as if we impose the coins on anyone," he said.'

He said the new notes had been given out and until replenishments are available the Bank cannot do any about it. Mr. Azaglo said, the new currency supplied by the Bank of Ghana to the ICB, adding, "customers should not worry at all, nobody is being denied the new notes, we are only using what is available now," he said.