Hello Ken3141
There has been a real improvement since the new notes were brought
into circulation. Although there is still a counterfeiting problem, it
is less severe than before the introduction of the new Afghani and the
currency is relatively stable.
The new anti-counterfeiting measures include "some of the advanced
security features of the Euro banknotes such as hologram strips,
latent imaging & iridescent ink print", according to the London
Banknote and Monetary Research Centre Ltd.
http://www.lbmrc.co.uk/28_news_bulletin.htm
=========================
Xinhua (Chinese) news agency. Dec 23, 2002
"Counterfeits of 7,000 Afghanis ( about 120 US dollars) of
Afghanistan's new currency, were seized on Monday by police in the
country's southern province of Ghazni, around 150 kilometers from
Kabul, local radio said.
Authorities in the province said they have received reports that a
total of 200,000 Afghanis (about 4,000 US dollars) of fake banknotes,
each with the denomination of 1,000 Afghanis, had leaked into local
market, according to Liberty Radio here.
The authorities were in high alert to hunt for those Afghanis
remaining on the market, it said.
The central bank of Afghanistan issued the new currency on Oct. 7 to
replace the old money, which had become too cumbersome to use in daily
transactions as the country is struggling to revamp its fragile
economy after 22 years of war. One new Afghani equals to 1, 000
Afghanis of old currency.
It is the first time that counterfeit of the new currency was found
after its issuance.
The central bank on Sunday urged people to check carefully when
receiving money, especially those with the face value of 1,000
Afghanis, the highest denomination on the new currency.
Soon after the issuance of the new currency, rumors spread here that
money forgers in a neighboring country were making counterfeits of the
new Afghani."
http://bglatzer.de/nfa/nfa-0212/021227-073.htm
*
BBC, January 2003:
"The government's new currency seems to have stabilised the foreign
exchange.
The afghani dropped as low as 78,000 to the dollar last month but has
since strengthened to 44,000 old afghanis, or 44 new afghanis, market
traders said.
However, it has not killed off all the counterfeiters.
About 200,000 fake new notes, worth about $4,000, were seized recently
by authorities in Ghazni province, south-east of the capital. "
Thursday, 2 January, 2003
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2621617.stm
*
Times of Asia, February 2003
"Moneychangers and customers alike agree that the new notes - printed
in Germany and Britain - had largely stopped the flood of counterfeit
money that helped to destabilize and devalue the old afghani. Some
fake money did start circulating late last year, trying to take
advantage of the changeover before people had familiarized themselves
with the new notes, but the printing was of poor quality and they were
easily spotted."
Asia, February 22, 2003
By Mohammad Shafiq Haqpal
http://www.times.kg/news/1072658.html?s=print
*
Eurasianet, May 2003
"On the bright side, the Afghan currency has shown signs of
stabilizing. Afghanistan’s Central Bank converted the old, worthless
afghani to a new one in January. The old Afghani was so easy to
counterfeit that central authorities reportedly didn’t even know how
many notes were in circulation. The new afghani has remained
relatively stable since its introduction. “This has boosted confidence
in the afghani,” a diplomatic source said."
AFGHAN ECONOMY MAKES HALTING PROGRESS, FACES HUGE CHALLENGES
Daan van der Schriek
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/6/05/03business/articles/eav060503.shtml
*
Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy New Delhi - press release August 2003
"The new Afghan currency is stable."
http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/in4/wwwhpr0827d.html
*
Paktribune, August 29 2003
"The Afghan border security officials have arrested a smuggler on
Pak-Afghan border near Torkham.
According to VOA, they also recovered a large amount of fake Afghan
currency and big quantity of wine from him. "
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=36697
*
Interview with the Afghan Minister of Finance, August 2003:
"Q: How is the new Afghan currency doing?
A: The Afghan currency has been remarkably stable."
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=36255&SelectRegion=Central_Asia
========================
"After the U.S.-led ouster of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, the
nascent government there launched a new Afghani to replace the
half-dozen currencies circulating. A German company, Giesecke &
Devrient GmbH in Munich, won the contract to print most of the bills."
http://www.asiapapermarkets.com/apm/apm/common/mktbuzz_archiveweek69.jsp
"The denominations of the new notes will be issued in 1, 2, 5, 10, 50,
100, 500 and 1000 values and will be printed by the German firm,
Giesecke & Devrient with their headquarters in Munich. Sufficient
quantities of the notes have already been transported to Kabul in time
for their introduction and they will incorporate some of the advanced
security features of the Euro banknotes such as hologram strips,
latent imaging & iridescent ink print and, it has also been confirmed
that the notes will not carry a portrait of any one person nor the
present head of state as was customary with previous banknote issues
before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The notes will
instead illustrate existing national monuments, historical sites and
Mosques from various parts of the country in a gesture of unity."
London Banknote and Monetary Research Centre Ltd.
http://www.lbmrc.co.uk/28_news_bulletin.htm
===========================
Further information:
New currency helps eliminate confusion
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/jan-june03/rebuild_01-14.html
Pictures of the new banknotes
http://www.afghanistans.com/Currency/5-10-Afghani.htm
===========================
I hope you find this information helpful. Please do let me know if you
would like anything clarified.
Best Wishes - Leli
search strategy
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Giesecke afghanis |
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