LUANDA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A new set of Angolan kwanza notes will be circulated in the first half of 2013 as part of the efforts to spur economic growth of the African country, the official news agency Angop reported on Tuesday.
The decision was announced by Governor of the National Reserve Bank (BNA) Jose de Lima Massano at a specialized meeting organized to assess and discuss the draft state budget for this financial year.
The governor said the new notes will contribute to sustainable economic growth and the central bank will make a formal announcement on the issue on Jan. 29.
In 2012, the BNA announced the new set of Kwanza notes, local currency named after the longest river in the country, would enter the market in a gradual way, particularly the high value notes of 5,000 and 10,000 kwanzas (50 U. S. dollars and 100 dollars).
Massano said the new notes are expected to gain an international pattern for the local currency, and were more durable and better protected. Coins will be in back in circulation again to facilitate changes and decreasing other constraints observed in the retail market, he added.
The National Reserve Bank has already received the authorization of the National Assembly (parliament) for the issue of the new notes, Angop said.
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