South Sudan bank governor in Rumbek to advertise New currency
By Manyang Mayom
Jan 21, 2007 (RUMBEK) — A high ranking delegation from the central bank has arrived yesterday from Juba touring all ten States of Southern Sudan to introduce the new Sudanese Currency, which was launched in January 9, 2006 in Juba.
The Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Sudan and Governor of Southern Sudan Bank, Elijah Malok Aleng, arrived on Friday 19 January to Rumbek to introduce the New Sudanese Pound to the public in Lakes State.
The new currency was agreed to as part of the January 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended a 21-year war between Sudanese government in the north and the former rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army in the south.
Elijah Malok who held a close door meeting in council of ministers in Governor Office,
indicated that the value of new pound is clear and simple. The pound equals hundred Sudanese dinar.
He appointed out three stations for Lakes State citizens to exchanges their old currency into new currency rates will be Cueibet County in the western part of Lakes State, Yirol County in the Eastern part of Lakes and Akot including the central county which is hosted by Nile Commercial Bank (NCB).
He said that the dinar will remain in circulation, along with the pound, for an interim period of six month and then it would be finally withdrawn by June 30, 2007.
The launching of New Sudan Currency was made in Juba on January 9, 2007 by the Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir and the first vice-president, president of southern Sudan government Salva Kiir Mayardit.
“We had first prints of 2050 million first productions of our Sudan New Currency Pound for exchanges and still more to come a head for printing.” said Elijah Malok.
During Naivasha peace talks, the SPLM rejected to maintain the dinar because it was seen as part of an attempt to Islamize the whole Sudan by the National Congress Party government which cancelled the pound and imposed the dinar in 1992.
Elijah Malok added that New Sudan currency, the Pound reflects a vision of peace and the diversity of the country. Also, it presents all our naturals view of Sudan, “as you may look into New Pound, you can see River Nile view, Blue Nile view, White Nile view, Red sea view with some are holding bull colour, agriculturalist natural, we therefore call ourselves that we are they government and we must work had to public interest and to save our nation in many issue likes discriminations to be avoid at all.”
The conversion rate set by the Central bank is 1 Sudanese pound equals 100 Sudanese dinars, and 1 piaster is equivalent to 1 dinar. 1 old Sudanese pound equals 0.005 Sudanese Pound.
Regarding the foreign money circulating in South Sudan, the rates are : 1 Ugandan shilling equals 0.001 Sudanese Pound, 1 Ethiopian Birr equals 0.286 Sudanese Pound, and 1 Kenyan shilling equals 0.028 Sudanese Pound.
(ST)