Some minibus conductors and small business owners in the commercial city of Blantyre have expressed their concerns over the new K2000 note saying they are meeting challenges to give their customers change.
In a series of interviews with this reporter, some small business owners and some minibus conductors said that if they had been asked before whether to introduce the note or not, they could have rejected it.
One of the conductors whose minibus operates from Limbe to Blantyre CBD via Chipembere highway, John Phonera said the new note is giving them tough time when it comes to give passengers change.
“You can imagine that from Mibawa to Limbe the fare is K150. So you can see that when a passenger gives us that K2000 for K150 we are supposed to give that person K1850 which is becoming very difficult,” complained Phonera.
Concurrently, Mateyu Moyo whose minibus operates between Blantyre CBD and Ndirande Township said since the introduction of the new note, life has not been the same saying the note is giving them a headache especially on their first trips of the day.
He then said the only thing to be done here is reduce the population of the K2000 claiming that would help considering the fact that there is nothing else which can be done.
“Considering the fact that the note has already been introduced, I would like to urge the government not to release more notes. The thing is that there should be more K1000 notes than these K2000,” said Moyo.
Furthermore, Chilomoni-Blantyre minibus conductor Sankhani Banda said even their passengers are having headaches with the notes saying it is more painful when the conductors forget giving them their change.
In separate interviews with 15 small business owners at Blantyre flea market and 10 at Limbe market, they said them too are the victims of the newly introduced notes.
Elifa Phiri who sales doughnuts in Limbe who also happens to have the same point with Mary Kadammanja selling sweet beer at Blantyre flea market said their business has suffered with the introduction of the K2000 note.
They said they are failing to give a customer who brings the note, change and added that whenever that happens, the customer leaves without buying anything.
The new K2000 note was introduced last week Monday on December 19 but since its launch, it has received several criticisms.
The Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) said the K2000 note has come about because the current highest note of K1000 has lost value.
Devaluation at its best ,,
Mayiko ochitika bwino anthu amatengelatu exact bus fee to avoid things like these n delays..Don’t blame government,minibus association of malawi should enforce a law about this.
Ine ndie am so deeply hapy wth de note, ndkadakonda boma likadapangaso 5g or 10g, zomatenga ma k20 100 mmatumba zmakusangalatsan? Aaaa,,,,,kod enenu bwanj kuvetsetsa kumakuvutan? Aaa,,
Malawi is a dead nation, its people can’t say anything.
Muyisova Achewa