Kabulis uneasy with increasing old banknotes

KABUL (Pajhwok): Several residents of capital Kabul complain about problems they face in using old banknotes for daily transactions.

The Afghan currency notes come in dominations including one, two, five, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 afghanis and coins of one, two and five afghanis.

Edris Ahmad, a resident of Qala-i-Wahid area of Kabul city, told Pajhwok Afghan News that old and rusty banknotes of one to 50 afghanis were in abundance in the market.

 “I have several times clashed with shopkeepers and taxi drivers over old banknotes,” he said.

Hashmatullah Bayan, a member of the Wolesi Jirga commission on legislation, also said most banknotes from one to 50 afghanis had become unusable.

He confirmed facing problem in buying things in the market by offering old notes to shopkeepers.

Ahmad Javid, a liquefied gas seller in Kolola Pushta area of Kabul, said that most of customers gave him worn banknotes after buying gas.

“This problem often leads to verbal exchanges between customers and sellers. Wholesalers do not take old banknotes from me, so I also do not accept such banknotes from customers,” he said.

Javid said moneychangers also bought worn banknotes at lower prices compared to their normal rates.

Nilab, a resident of Qala-i-Zaman Khan area, complained about the poor condition of banknotes and said some people did not care about keeping their money safe.

She asked people to keep their money safe from turning filthy and said the Afghan currency was national asset.

“I personally keep my money very safe, but I become angry when shopkeepers give me old banknotes because some people do not take them,” she said.

Kabul residents asked Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) to resolve the problem. Haji Dad Gul, deputy head of Sara-i-Shahzada Moneychangers Union in Kabul, confirmed that banknotes from one to 50 afghanis had turned old but said it was not a big issue to be worried about.

He said banknotes were usable until their colors were visible or their corners not cut off. “Moneychangers do not exchange worn notes so people should take such notes to ADB for exchange,” he said.

However, he added moneychangers also could exchange old banknotes but with a little lower price. Carelessness in protection of banknotes and their low quality were reasons the notes turned old soon, he added.

Emal Hashwar, ADB spokesman, confirmed the quantity of 1 to 100 afghanis banknotes had increased in the market.

He cited frequent usage of banknotes one of the reasons, but rejected the claim of low quality. He said ADB was careful about banknotes as one to 100 afghanis notes had the capacity to be folded up 3,500 times.

He said there would be no problem if people returned their worn banknotes to the ADB for exchange.

About exchange of old banknotes at lower prices by moneychangers, he said, “No one has the right to buy old banknotes at lower price even with the difference of one afghani, it is a crime.”

Hashor said ADB annually collected four to five billion old afghani banknotes and torched them. He said 220 billion afghanis were available for transactions.

mds/ma