The Maltese are being given a say in the design of the national face for the euro coins, which will become legal tender not just in Malta but across the EU as from 1 January 2008.
The Central Bank of Malta and the National Euro Changeover Committee (NECC) launched a public consultation process yesterday for the selection of the designs of the Maltese euro coin set. The public is being presented with 12 options divided into four themes and asked to choose the preferred option to appear on the national side of the euro coins.
In common with several other EU Member States, the Maltese euro coins will have three different designs: one for the one and two euro coins, one for the 50, 20 and 10 cent coins, and one for the five, two and one cent coins.
Four themes have been chosen, each one capturing a specific aspect of the Maltese 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.
Three different options are being presented for each one and these are:
Prehistoric Malta: The Mnajdra Temple Altar; statues from the Xaghra Stone Circle and Ggantija Temples.
Renaissance Malta: The Baptism of Christ in St John’s Co-Cathedral, the portico of the Auberge de Castille and Fort St Angelo.
Modern Malta: The Great Siege Monument, the Malta Coat of Arms and an allegoric representation of Malta.
The Maltese Archipelago: A map of the Maltese Islands, the Valletta Fortifications and the Mdina Skyline.
The public is being asked to choose their favourite option by sending a blank SMS or simply by dialling the number linked to that option. They are also being given the opportunity to suggest other options by sending an SMS to a separate number. 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 be presented again to the public later on this year to have its last say on the images of the Maltese euro coin set.
Participants in this consultation process will take part in a prize draw to win one of 20 Air Malta tickets to any of its destinations, or one of a number of mobile phones offered by Go Mobile. The charge for the SMSs and calls are at the normal standard rate.
Further information on the national consultation process can be obtained from the websites of the Central Bank of Malta www.centralbankmalta.com or the NECC website: www.euro.gov.mt. The public will also be informed through TV and newspapers adverts for the duration of the consultation period, which ends on 29 January.
At first glance, it seems that certain images normally associated with Malta are missing from the list, such as Grand Master La Vallette, the eight-pointed cross and possibly St Paul, but it was explained that these images are either related to non-Maltese or normally associated with the Order of St John. However, as explained, the public still has ‘the 13th option’ where it can make its own suggestion.
A press conference addressed by Parliamentary Secretary Tonio Fenech, Governor of the Central Bank Michael Bonello and chairman of the National Euro Changeover Committee Joseph F. X. Zahra, was yesterday inevitably asked about the euro/ewro dilemma.
Mr Fenech said the euro is a European term and defined by a treaty. All euros have to be interchangeable across the euro area, with the sole exception of Greece. The decision taken by the National Council for the Maltese Language that the euro is ewro in Malta is right when it refers to the way the euro is written in Maltese publications. However, since all euros, paper and coins are interchangeable across Europe, the word euro has to be the same everywhere.
The euro law, which will be presented to Parliament for discussion around February – March, will state however that if a legal document in Maltese refers to ewro, it will have the same legal force as euro.
On wider issues, the press conference was told that mandatory dual pricing will be introduced as from next year, as soon as the two years in the ERM band are over in May 2007.
The government, basing itself on the experience of other countries, will not initiate the changeover with a big bang but over a longer period.
A special sub-committee of NECC is already examining how best to avoid the risk of the changeover spinning into inflation, and the government is not ruling out the engagement of further manpower to ensure prices are not rounded up during the changeover.
However, as NECC officials pointed out, those outlets that have already started doing voluntary dual pricing, have been observed rounding up their prices.