Central Bank hosts “Know Your Money” workshop

Bogus cheques and bills…believe it or not, advances in technology have made it easier than ever for criminals to create counterfeit money and go on a spending spree. Thankfully, the catch is that the process is so complex that most potential counterfeiters are deterred by the sheer number of special processes used to transform regular cotton paper into currency. In an effort to help local businesses protect their profits, this morning a representative of De La Rue International, the company that prints our money and that of almost one hundred and twenty other countries, gave a presentation entitled “Know Your Money” at the Central Bank. In that lecture, Damien Kwiskowski detailed how money is made, the special security features, and how to examine, feel, and test each and every bill that comes into your hands. According to Marilyn Gardiner of the Banking and Currency Department at the Central Bank, such information is crucial to the business community.

Marilyn Gardiner, Banking and Currency, Central Bank
?Today was for anyone who wished to come, we wanted to make sure all who are interested, and we wanted to create the interest in people to get to know their money, so they can make sure they are not tricked by a counterfeiter to accept a fake one.?

Karla Heusner
?Do people come in thinking they know their money and then realize maybe they don?t??

Marilyn Gardiner
?Some of them do. Most of them believe that yes, we know what the different denominations look like, until we start asking them, well, can you remember the themes on them, at least the themes? Then we realise that each person starts recognising that, hey I don?t know as much as I thought I did.?

The “Know Your Money” presentations conducted over the past two days catered to members of the business community, bank and government workers, and the general public. Brochures are available at the Central Bank to help anyone who wants to become familiar with the various security features of Belizean bills, or you can learn more about our money by visiting www.centralbank.org.bz.