HKMA promotes public awareness of the new banknotes

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) said today (Monday) that its education campaign on the new series banknotes is making good progress. The main aim of the campaign is to promote public awareness of the security features of the remaining denominations of the new series banknotes, which will be issued in mid-October. These denominations are the $1,000, $50 and $20 notes.

Activities in the education campaign include

• education seminars for the general public, retailers, social workers serving centres for the elderly, and centres for people with visual impairments

• special outreach education seminars for the elderly

• a student ambassador programme covering over 35,000 retailers in markets, shopping centres and neighbourhoods throughout Hong Kong.

The HKMA today held an outreach education seminar in a centre for the elderly at Ma On Shan. The education seminar is specially organised for elderly people who may find it difficult to join similar seminars held in the HKMA. In addition to briefing them on the security features of the new series banknotes, HKMA staff distributed leaflets illustrating the design and security features of the new series banknotes. "The seminar was attended by over a hundred elderly people. They showed a great deal of interest in the new series banknotes," an HKMA spokesperson said.

The HKMA has also been organising regular seminars for retailers since May 2004. During the previous week, representatives of the HKMA paid visits to centres for people with visual impairments to explain the design and security features of the new series banknotes. The HKMA held an education seminar for the general public on 25 September. Over a hundred public members attended the seminar.

Activities under the education campaign are ongoing. A programme of future events is at the Annex. Members of the public are welcome to attend the public seminars. Enrollment forms are available at the HKMA website at www.hkma.gov.hk and the HKMA Information Centre at 55/F, Two International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong.

Another initiative under the HKMA education campaign is the student ambassador programme. Since the launch of the programme on 22 August, student ambassadors have distributed over 40,000 educational leaflets to retailers in various districts in Hong Kong.

Information about the new series banknotes is available at the HKMA Information Centre and the HKMA website.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Kevin Ip, Manager (Press), at 2878 1687 or
Thomas Chan, Senior Manager (Press), at 2878 1480

Hong Kong Monetary Authority
27 September 2004

	A member of the Hong Kong Police Force teaches the members of public to distinguish genuine and counterfeit banknotes during the HKMA education seminar on 25 September.
	The HKMA holds an education seminar on 25 September to introduce to the general public the design and security features of the new series banknotes.
	HKMA staff demonstrate the design and security features of the new series banknotes during guided tours at the HKMA Information Centre.
	HKMA staff demonstrate the design and security features of the new series banknotes during guided tours at the HKMA Information Centre.
	The HKMA holds an education seminar to the elderly at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong Ma On Shan District Elderly Community Centre on 27 September to demonstrate the design and security features of the new series banknotes.

Annex

Programme of future events under the education campaign