Additional recommendations from the National Bank

Skopje, 17 March 2020

Dear citizens,

As part of the measures and appeals for raising awareness and responsibility we all have in preventing and protecting health, amid spread of COVID-19, we inform you of the following:

Since cash is considered to be one of the common channels for spreading infection, in order to prevent contagious transmission, we again appeal to reduce the use of cash and increase the use of payment cards and other alternative electronic means of executing transactions. That way you will protect your own health as well as the health of everyone around you.

In this regard, we recommend banks to consider options for reducing the non-cash transaction fees.

To reduce the risks of using denar cash, we have introduced strict handling protocols - withdrawing banknotes and coins on a regular basis and keeping them in quarantine prior to re-release. We have also revoked the charges on banks for depositing and withdrawing denar cash. This procedure will be followed by the banks with whom we are actively communicating in order to jointly bring down risks of contamination and contagion transmission through the circulating cash to the lowest level possible.

We would particularly like to urge caution when using foreign currency which has been imported from another country, carrying a high risk of transmitting the infection. We recommend that you exchange them in authorized banks and exchange offices that apply special measures for dealing with this cash in order to reduce the possibility of transmitting infections through this channel.

We appeal to all citizens to follow and abide by the recommendations of the competent authorities for quick and efficient dealing with the situation. As confirmed in multiple cases, prevention and proper follow-up of recommendations is crucial in dealing with such disasters.