Maltese citizens will be able to have a say in the design of the national side of the euro coins, after the government launched a public consultation process on Saturday. Malta is expected to adopt the euro currency within two years after working with the Maltese currency for 35 years. The process includes presenting the public with 12 options divided into four themes. The preferred option will appear on the national side of the euro coins.
Speaking of this consultation process during a press conference, Parliamentary Secretary Tonio Fenech said that “This is, therefore, an unprecedented opportunity for the Maltese to give a face to our new money and we are urging the public to have a say in this historical decision.”
The Central Bank of Malta and the National Euro Changeover Committee (NECC) are also part of the public consultation process for the selection of the designs of the Maltese euro coin set. Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Tonio Fenech, together with the Governor of the Central Bank of Malta, Michael C. Bonello, and the Chairman of the NECC Joseph F. X. Zahra, announced that the public consultation process starts today and will come to a conclusion on Sunday 29th January 2006. During this period the public is being encouraged to send an SMS or to call the number attached to the preferred option. Participants in this consultation process will be taking part in a prize draw to win one of 20 Air Malta tickets to any of its destinations, or one among a number of mobile phones offered by Go Mobile. The charge for the SMSs and calls are at the normal standard rate.
The four themes capture a specific aspect of Malta's national fabric that is prehistoric Malta, renaissance Malta, a theme with options representing the Maltese identity and a theme with images of the Maltese archipelago. For each one, three different options are being presented. The three options from three different themes that receive the highest number of votes will form the basis for the final design options. These final options will later on this year, be presented again to the public to have the final say on the images on our euro coin set.
Recently the National Council of the Maltese language decided that the spelling of the word 'euro' in Maltese will be 'ewro' both in the singular and plural form. Latvia praised Malta’s decision. Latvia also wishes to divert from the 'euro''s conventional way of spelling, and wishes top call the European currency 'eiro'.
See also:
Maltese to call the European currency-'ewro'
By MaltaMedia News
Dec 14, 2005, 13:06 CET
Latvia praises Malta on "ewro" spelling
By Ruth Davies
Jan 4, 2006, 13:17 CET
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