89% of lev banknotes already withdrawn

Bulgaria’s transition to the euro is now virtually complete, with only the technical stage remaining. So far, 89% of lev banknotes have been withdrawn, leaving around 3.4 billion leva still held by the public. This information was announced by Vladimir Ivanov, head of the Coordination Centre under the Euro Mechanism in Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian National Bank will exchange leva for euros indefinitely, while commercial banks and Bulgarian Post offices will do so free of charge until the middle of the year.

From the beginning of the year until 12 March, the Interior Ministry recorded 177 attempts to circulate counterfeit euro banknotes, including prop notes.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova