2008-07-18 | 293546365

Banking Circular No 4 of 2008 Revised - Amendment- Revised guidelines for currency transactions

The Central Bank of Kenya issues revised guidelines for currency transactions, effective October 1st, 2008. Commercial banks must deposit sorted banknotes and coins, marked as 'FIT' or 'UNFIT', with the Central Bank. The guidelines include criteria for sorting banknotes and coins, as well as instructions for packaging and labeling.

CENTRAL BANKI KUU YA BANK OF KENYA KENYA Haile Selassie Aven P. O. Box 60000 - 00200 Nairobi Kenya Telephone: 2860000 Telex: 22324 l 4th July 2008 Banking Circular No. 4 of 2008 (Amendment) To All Chief Executives Commercial Banks

Revised Guidelines For Currency Transactions

Further to our Banking Circular Number 4 of 2008, we hereby amend the circular to accommodate the commercial banks' concerns.

The Bank shall continue receiving banknote and coin deposits from commercial banks in their present form. This arrangement will however continue until 30th September 2008.

Effective 1ª October 2008, all commercial banks shall be required to deposit banknotes and coins that have been sorted into either fit or unfit categories and this should be clearly marked on the boxes and bags delivered to the Central Bank.

As agreed in the meeting held on 12th June 2008, the Bank will endeavour to meet the commercial bank coin needs as requested. Enclosed please find the sorting guidelines.

Director, Currency Operations & Branch Administration Department

Banknotes And Coins Sorting Criteria

1. Objective

The objective of banknote and coin sorting is to:-

  • Maintain a clean banknote and coin policy at all times throughout the country and beyond wherever Kenya banknotes and coins are in use.

  • To re-circulate fit banknotes and coins within the Banking system in order to derive maximum usage before soiled, worn-out banknotes and mutilated coins are returned to Central Bank for destruction.

  • Enhance integrity and confidence of Kenya Currency through disposition of clean and positive currency management.

2. Affected Parties

In order that these objectives are met, all those involved in banknote and coin sorting, while undertaking this process, need to clearly separate fit and unfit banknotes and coins destined for re-circulation and destruction respectively.

3. Standards Of Sorting Criteria

A criterion is here below spelt out to assist all those involved in banknote sorting:-

Banknote statusSorting Criteria
1SOILAGECondemn if cleanliness is less than 50% compared to a new banknote of the same denomination.
(a) Dirt (b) Stained or discoloured100%-alltoberejectedas
unserviceable
(c) Graffiti - written on100%-alltoberejectedas
unserviceable 100% - alltoberejectedas
unserviceable
(d)Washed,bleachedorstiff
(Genuine and depicting UV bright properties) TEARS
2100%-alltoberejectedas
unserviceable
(a) Missing corners or tears at the edges (b) Holes - 1mm or wider100%-alltoberejectedas
Banknote statusSorting Criteria
unserviceable
(c) Security thread loose or missing100%-alltoberejectedas
unserviceable
3MUTILATION100%-alltoberejectedas
unserviceable (Ensure thatbanknotemeetsthe
minimumcriteriaforexchangeof
mutilated notes)
OTHERS
4100%-alltoberejectedas
unserviceable
(a) Staple pins (b) Cello tape or masking tape on100%-alltoberejectedas
banknoteunserviceable
5GENUINEBUTDEPICTS100%-alltoberejectedas
DEFECTIVE PROPERTIESunserviceable, but submit to CBK for technical analysis and replacement
6COUNTERFEITS100% reject as counterfeits. Submit to CBK or law enforcement agent immediately with customer details where available.

The criterion for coin sorting is also spelt out below to assist all those involved in coin

Coin statusSorting Criteria
1Mutilated, Cracked, Major Scratch,100%-alltoberejectedas
Damaged or Defacedunserviceable
2Discolouration, Corrosion, Tarnish100%-alltoberejectedas
or Oxidisedunserviceable
6COUNTERFEITS100% reject as counterfeits. Submit to CBK or law enforcement agent immediately with customer details where available.

sorting:-

4. Packaging And Labeling

Banknotes to be packaged into Sub-bundles and Bundles. A sub-bundle to contain 100 (one hundred) banknotes and a bundle will comprise 10 (Ten) sub-bundles. Complete bundles to be marked using a label showing details of the Bank and clearly marked 'FIT' in the case of serviceable notes and 'UNFIT' in case of unserviceable notes. In order to standardize practice in the industry, the following labelling colours shall be adopted for each denomination:

DenominationColour of Label
50/=Light green
100/=Light red
200/=Light yellow
500/=Light blue
1000/=White label

Coins should be packaged into bags. All full bags to be marked using a label showing details of the Bank and clearly marked 'FIT' in the case of serviceable coins and 'UNFIT' in case of unserviceable coins.

The following colour tags and pieces per bag have been set in order to standardize

DenominationPieces per BagColour of Label
401000Violet
201000Blue
102000Green
51000White
12000Purple
0.502000Yellow
0.101000Cream/Beige
0.052000Red

practice in the industry.

CURRENCY OPERATIONS & BRANCH ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT July 2008

Tags
monetary
operational
deposits