The Central Bank is to issue a Rs. 5,000 currency note but an official denied it had anything to do with rising inflation and insisted that it was to mark the Bank’s 60th anniversary.
In addition to the 5,000-rupee note, other notes are also to be issued depicting scenes of ‘Development and Prosperity’ and ‘Sri Lankan Dancers’. The new notes will be in the denominations of Rs. 20, Rs. 50, Rs. 100, Rs. 500, Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 5,000. Significantly, there will no new ten-rupee notes.
UNP Parliamentarian and economist and Harsha de Silva said the issuing of the Rs. 5,000 note indicated the high rate of inflation and it was being done in a subtle way. “During the period April 2004 to 2010, the cost of living index has doubled. For what we could do with Rs. 2,000 in 2004, we now need Rs. 4,000,” he said.
Presidential Economic Advisor Ranjith Bandara, however, said the issuing of the 5,000-rupee currency note had nothing to do with inflation, which he claimed was now at an all time low.
He said the issuing of the currency note of Rs. 5,000 was an indication of prosperity and nothing else.
A Central Bank official said the new note was not likely to be issued till next year. |
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