Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet has advised the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) to re-consider the conditions for dirty or damaged U.S. dollar banknotes.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Samdech Preah Brahma Rattanamony Pin Sem Museum in Raja Bo pagoda in Siem Reap provincial city this morning, Samdech Thipadei Prime Minister said yesterday he asked the NBC to remove some conditions for the circulation of old or stained or slightly-torn U.S. dollar banknotes to facilitate the spending of tourists.

‘Some problems are small, but annoying to tourists, such as the difficulty in using U.S. dollar bills that are dirty or a little torn,’ he said.

The NBC was also instructed to work with other commercial banks in the country on this issue.

According to the Premier, he got the complaint about the issue during his impersonation to visit the Pub Street – a nightlife area in Siem Reap last night.

‘Counterfeit banknote is one thing, but some banknotes are just a b
it broken, old, ripped or stained. Anyway, they are rejected or their value is depreciated because the banks do not accept them. I hope our National Bank will work on this issue urgently,’ he underlined.

Even though Riel is the national currency of Cambodia, the U.S. dollar is widely used in the country except in some rural areas. The exchange rate is 1 U.S. dollar for around 4,000 Riel.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse