by Sara Farr

The government has authorised the issue of more banknotes to help with the high demand in circulation, Tong Chi Kin, president of the Executive Council said yesterday.
With the increase of notes circulation, the Bank of China suggested the local government increase the number of banknotes to keep up with the increased circulation. As such, the government decided to increase the existing circulating number by 75 million notes of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 patacas.
With the administrative regulation, in the “near future” locals can expect up to 20 million new 10 pataca banknotes, another 20 million 20 pataca banknotes, 6 million 50 pataca notes, 10 million 100 pataca notes, 15 million 500 pataca notes and 4 million 1,000 pataca notes.
All the banknotes will also have new images printed on them, Tong said, and the 50 pataca note locals know to be greenish, will change its colour to dark brown.
Image prints on the new banknotes will be the A-Ma Temple for the 10 pataca notes, while the 20, 50 and 100 pataca notes will feature the Ruins of Saint Paul, D. Pedro V theatre, and the Guia Fortress, respectively. An image of the Mandarin House will be printed on 500 pataca notes, while the Senado Building, now the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) headquarters will be printed on the new 1,000 pataca notes.
The issue date to be printed on the notes is August 8, 2008. But no exact date was given as to when these notes will be circulating.
However, the new notes in circulation will not affect the circulation of the current banknotes, and once the new notes are out, it is expected that there will be a total of 13 billion banknotes circulating in Macau altogether.