The continuous circulation of mutilated and old currency notes in Western Province is a cause of concern for many customers.
A number of Gizo residents told this paper over that weekend that there seems to be a lot of currency notes especially, $5, $10 and $20 notes which are very broken and old are still circulated.
“Some are already broken, yet businesses and vendors are still using them,” a mother said.
Some notes have to use cello-tape to stick them together because they are broken and falling apart.
A Gizo resident Mahe Tolipio said, these notes are circulating in the province because most of the shops and market vendors do not even care to return them to the banks as deposits.
He said, most of the shops in Gizo operated by Chinese, Bangladesh and the locals are keeping the $5, $10 and $20 notes for changes.
“And because of that these old notes continued to be passed on to customers and keep on circulating in the province,” Mr Tolipio said.
He added, some of these notes ended up into the hands of the fishermen.
“So, when they are being transferred to a customer buying fish from them, these notes are wet and as result can easily break,” he added.
A local customer Keto Junior said, he was surprised to the see the notes popping up at the church.
“Most times these old notes also popped up at the church as offerings.
“We are not sure how many years these notes have been circulating in our communities and never deposited,” he said.
He added, that it’s important for shop owners and vendors to at least return the notes to the banks as deposits.
The Solomon Star had witnessed that each week most of the Chinese shop owners only deposit the $50 and $100 notes but not the notes from $5 to $20.
And because of that, it might have led to these old notes being circulating in the provincial economy.
Mr Tolipio who brought some of the old notes to show to the Solomon Star said, its important for the banks to encourage our local people to deposit old notes or exchange them at the banks for new ones.
By MOFFAT MAMU