President John Dramani Mahama says Ghana’s currency is “long overdue for refreshing”, citing the need to periodically upgrade its security features to stay ahead of counterfeiters.

According to the President, currencies must be periodically updated to make it more difficult for criminals to reproduce them, although the decision to redesign or replace the cedi rests with the  Bank of Ghana.

“Every country, every ten years, you are supposed to refresh your currency because if you use the same currency for too long, people learn how to counterfeit it,” President Mahama said during the Resetting Ghana Tour in the Upper East Region.

He added that security features on banknotes must be updated from time to time to keep pace with counterfeiting techniques.

“And so this particular currency is long overdue for refreshing,” he said.

President Mahama disclosed that he is aware of plans by the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to refresh the currency and expects the central  bank to announce the details to the public when the time is right.

“I know the governor has plans to refresh the currency and I am sure that at the appropriate time, the Bank of Ghana will let Ghanaians know what they are doing about it,” he said.

What a currency refresh means

A currency refresh would primarily involve updating the security features on Ghana’s banknotes to make counterfeiting more difficult.

It would not, by itself, change the value of the cedi or amount to a redenomination.

For consumers and  businesses, the immediate benefit would be stronger protection against counterfeit notes and confidence in the security of cash transactions.

However, the physical appearance and security of the currency should not be confused with the economic strength of the cedi.

President Mahama stressed that the value and performance of the currency are ultimately linked to the management of the wider economy.

“What I would say is that the cedi today is stronger than it was in the past because of good economic management,” he said.

He pointed to government’s economic policies as a key factor supporting the cedi’s recent performance against major international currencies.

“Your currency is as strong as your economic management and because of the good policies we put in place, the cedi is holding its own against other major currencies,” the President added.

Why it matters

A currency refresh could help Ghana stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated counterfeiting methods, but it would not by itself strengthen the cedi.

The currency’s broader performance will continue to depend on economic fundamentals, including inflation, foreign exchange supply, fiscal management and monetary policy.

For now, the timing and scope of any currency refresh remain in the hands of the Bank of Ghana.

President Mahama says government will continue implementing policies to support the strength of the cedi, while the central bank determines when and how the currency should be refreshed.

“We will continue to make sure that the economy bolsters the strength of the cedi. But, like I said, at the appropriate time, the Governor will apprise us of any plans that he has for replacing the currency,” he said.