Accra, May 14, GNA - The new GH¢2 banknote came into circulation o= n Friday after Governor of the Central Bank, Mr Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur,=

cashed the first cheque at a short ceremony in Accra. The GH¢2 denomination has been introduced in response to the need for an intermediary banknote between the GH¢1 and GH¢5 banknotes. Mr Amissah-Arthur said the bank was pursuing a clean note policy and=

asked Ghanaians to handle the notes in a manner to enhance their life spa= n to save the country the frequency and associated cost of printing large volumes of banknotes. He asked people in the rural areas to take careful look at the notes=

and always feel them when they had been given so as not to be deceived by=

unscrupulous people. Mr Amissah-Arthur said the bank would pursue the use of different portraits of the country's celebrities to identify various denominations to recognise departed national heroes who positively impacted on the lives o= f Ghanaians.

The GH¢2 banknote bears the portrait of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's First President, to commemorate the centenary celebration of his birth. The reverse of the banknote depicts the old and new Parliament buildings, signifying Ghana's deepening democracy. The introductory issue also has the commemorative text "Centenary of the Birth of Dr Kwame Nkrumah," but this text would be removed from subsequen= t prints. The new banknote also came with enhanced security features such as bl= ind recognition marks with high tactility for the blind and visually impaired= ..