By Jane Chanda
Bank of Zambia (BoZ) sensitisation team activist Martin Bwalya says the Central Bank is sensitising the public about the security features of the new bank notes to protect them from counterfeit notes.
Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Luanshya mayor Charles Mulenga yesterday, Bwalya explained that the ministry of Finance would issue a Statutory Instrument allowing the use of new bank notes alongside old ones from March 31 this year to March 31, 2026.
“We are aware that counterfeiters often take advantage of new notes due to a lack of information about their security features. The new notes, however, showcase Zambia’s unique features and heritage,” Bwalya said.
He explained that the new notes differed in size, with the K500 note being the largest, followed by the K200, then the K100, with the K50 and K10 notes being progressively smaller, and the K5 and K2 having been converted to coins.
Bwalya said the new Zambian banknotes boasted unique security features, including images of rare Zambian animals like the pangolin and black Lechwe, adding that all the new notes had a feature picture of the fish eagle in flight, symbolising Zambia’s resilience in overcoming challenges.
He also said this initiative was the team’s first public sensitisation meeting with local authority employees, educating them on the security features and advantages of the new notes, which would replace the old, soiled, and damaged banknotes.
And Luanshya mayor Charles Mulenga welcomed the BoZ team and urged them to prioritise sensitising mobile money booth operators and market traders.
Dr. Mulenga observed that the informal sector, which handled large sums of money daily, was vulnerable to counterfeiting.
“There is a need to ensure that the informal sector is reached and sensitised before the new bank notes are circulated,” Dr Mulenga said.
