Today Malta is only 100 days away from the adoption of the euro.

Yesterday, the National Euro Changeover Committee (NECC) unveiled a new branding exercise. Parliamentary Secretary Tonio Fenech held a press conference at City Gate Valletta together with NECC executive director Alan Camilleri, Head of Representation Dr Joanna Drake, Bank of Valletta chief executive officer Tonio Depasquale and Valletta mayor Dr Paul Borg Olivier.

Three countdown clocks in three of Malta’s most prominent locations: Aldo Moro Street, Marsa; Kappara Roundabout; and City Gate were switched on yesterday – with the latter being the site where the final countdown celebrations on New Year’s Eve will take place.

Mr Camilleri explained the last phase of the campaign, which will include a number of new initiatives:

An extensive outreach programme in localities and villages through the provision of information meetings, educational sessions and training to consumers, one-to-one with retailers and special attention to the elderly and those in vulnerable situations.

• Issuing plastic euro money and pouches to all schoolchildren and vulnerable groups;

• Re-launching of the euro website to allow direct Internet chat with information officers, and providing a registered area where the public can subscribe to brochures, articles and press releases;

• Setting up temporary euro-centres in towns and villages;

• Launching educational programmes and euro-resources for schoolchildren;

• Launch of the “Home Visits on Request” initiative, to answer queries from the elderly and the vulnerable in their homes;

Mr Depasquale announced that the BOV Converters, which the NECC will be distributing to all households in Malta and Gozo, have now arrived in Malta and that door-to-door distribution will be taking place in October.