Amin Kef Sesay: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 6 July 2022:
Last Friday, 1st July 2022, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio launched the much talked about redenominated Leone notes. “The technical experts have made a strong case. There will be a simplification of accounting records and a significant reduction in cash volumes needed for transactions. The inconveniences and inefficiencies of using the old notes will be a thing of the past. We have removed three zeroes, but the money yesterday is of the same value as the money today,” he said.
The President said that those in the informal economy might struggle with transactions, using the new notes, adding that he is encouraging the Bank of Sierra Leone to intensify its sensitization campaigns in the transition period and beyond.
“Reach out to the ordinary citizen in the markets, places of worship, their communities, in the rural areas, in their villages and towns. Citizens must be informed fully about the new currency. It is only fair that citizens receive the correct exchange and transaction values for the old notes as we use them alongside the new Leones. This is also a civic duty of all of us to help our fellow citizens to get it right.
“Clearly, our politicians and self-righteous pundits will soon flood social media, radio, and TV programmes with all manner of negative noises about the new note and the intention behind introducing it. They will conjure conspiracy theories, doom and gloom stories, and some downright amusing explanations,” he said.
President Bio also spoke against those attempting to spread falsehoods about the value of the new note. He said that the New Le5 note will pay for the same quantity of goods and services as the Old Le5, 000 note.
“As the Bank of Sierra Leone people have said, it is ‘New Money Same Value. New Notes; Same Value.’ The value of your pension, your debts, your rent, and your salary remain the same. I am honoured, therefore, at this time, to officially launch the New Leone, our new currency and legal tender in Sierra Leone,” he concluded.
Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone, Professor Kelfala Kallon, said that the relative strength of a country’s currency is the most important means through which its economic health could be measured.
He explained that the reason three zeros have been removed from the old Leone is to make it easier to compete with other currencies.
He said that the redenominated currency might not solve the country’s economic problems but, through proper macroeconomic policies, it could reset the country’s currency to change the public perception about the country, providing another starting point for the country through economic reforms that address factors that led to the depreciation of the currency.
“We hope that as we do this, we will bring together macroeconomic policies, structural changes to the economy that will make this the last time of denominating the currency of this country,” Professor Kallon noted.
Minister of Finance, Dennis K. Vandi thanked the Board of Governors of the Bank of Sierra Leone, their staff and other development partners who stood by the country throughout the process. He referred to the event as a landmark occasion that would present the country with another opportunity to grow its economy.
He further noted that extreme care and great efforts were put into the redenomination process with sensitization of the public in every part of the country on facts that the new Leones would enhance transactions for businesses, individuals, private sector, and public sector players.
“Your Excellency, ladies, and gentlemen, I am truly happy about this achievement. I appeal to you all to support this redenomination process. Thank you very much,” he concluded.
In my wildest dream, I never believe that this generation will have the opportunity to use 1 Cent or Le1. I thought that these monies can be only displayed as souvenirs in our museum. Thanks to President “Talk and Do” Bio and Professor Kelfala Kallon to make this dream a reality. Some politicians thought it was “OPIN CALL”. Unfortunately, APC parliamentarians have rejected the new currency and are using there Inciter-In-Chief Femi Cole to brainwash the Abacha Street women traders to follow the footsteps of the APC members, which has been orchestrated by former President Earnest Bai Koroma. The irony is, they just collected their monthly salaries from our treasury department in the new currency with a big smile on their faces, based on the fact that they no longer need “Ghana must go bags”.
May the Almighty continue to transform the minds of our citizens to focus on production which will definitely boost our economy.