The National Bank of Ukraine plans that the next circulation of changeable coins will be denominated not in kopecks, but in shags. At the same time, old-style coins will remain in circulation. About this reported Head of the NBU Andriy Pishnyi.
According to the chairman of the National Bank, the transition to steps does not require additional costs from either the regulator or the state budget. Currently, there are about 15 billion coins of various denominations in circulation, of which approximately 5.5 billion are 10- and 50-kopeck coins. Every year, the NBU mints new coins to replace worn ones.
«At least 20 million coins are already planned to be minted this year. We want this next minting to concern coins denominated not in pennies, but in shags», — Pyshnyi noted.
He explained that for a certain time both pennies and shags will be in circulation at the same time, while both coins will have the same payment power.
«There will be no forced removal of a penny. Simply to replace the coin that will be withdrawn from circulation, a coin of the appropriate denomination will be minted in sufficient quantity, but with a name that is uniquely Ukrainian — shag.» — added the head of the NBU.
In this way, it will be possible to avoid the costs associated with the destruction of old coins and the production of new ones, and the change itself will occur gradually and naturally, without the need for exchange or transfer of funds.
«The symbolism of this decision is much more powerful. We are finally removing from the Ukrainian legislation everything that even somehow relates us to Moscow.» — Pishnyy emphasized.
We will remind that in October 2024, the NBU submitted to the parliament a package of draft laws on changing the name of the exchange coin from «kopeck» to «step».
