By Shameema Hajji:
As couples mark Valentine’s Day today, the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) has cautioned the public against using bank notes to decorate bouquets and gift displays, saying the practice amounts to mutilation of legal tender.
In a statement released Friday, the central bank says that while Valentine’s Day is a time to express love and appreciation, celebrations should not come at the expense of the country’s currency.
“Placing bank notes in flower bouquets or altering them for decorative purposes amounts to mutilation of currency, which is punishable by law,” the bank said.
RBM stressed that Malawi’s bank notes are legal tender and must be handled with care at all times.
The bank warned that damaging, defacing, stapling, writing on, or deliberately altering notes reduces their lifespan and increases the cost of printing new currency.
The warning comes amid a growing trend where individuals fold, pin, or glue bank notes onto flowers, cakes and hampers as part of elaborate Valentine’s Day gift presentations.
The central bank said such acts, though often done in the spirit of romance, undermine the integrity of the national currency.
RBM has since urged members of the public to find alternative ways of expressing affection without destroying or defacing money.
“Let us celebrate responsibly and protect the dignity and integrity of our currency,” the statement reads.
The bank further appealed to businesses, including florists and gift shops, to refrain from encouraging customers to use bank notes as decorative materials.
Under Malawi’s laws governing currency management, deliberate mutilation or defacement of bank notes is an offence that attracts penalties.
Valentine’s Day, celebrated annually on February 14, is widely observed as a day of love, with people exchanging gifts, flowers and messages of affection.
