CLEANING CURRENCY IN GAZA

The prolonged closure of bank branches in Gaza and the halt in the influx of new currency since the war began have left residents using the same worn-out banknotes for nearly a year, complicating the already fragile commercial activity and sparking a rise in counterfeit currency.

A new profession has emerged on the margins of this crisis—"banknote cleaning." For a fee, Gaza residents can have their worn-out currency cleaned: a 100-shekel note costs 4 shekels to clean, a 20-shekel note costs 2 shekels, and a 200-shekel note costs 5 shekels. Some have even developed methods to repair torn notes or refresh them using cleaning products. Markets in Gaza are now seeing old and battered 100- and 20-shekel bills re-enter circulation.

Mahmoud Abd al-Nabi, who works in a currency exchange shop, has found a solution to preserve the life of his customers' banknotes. "I clean old notes with water and soap, hang them to dry in the sun, and return them to customers," he said. "I wash between 10,000 and 15,000 shekels daily to restore them."

To read the complete article, see:
Banknote cleaning becomes lifeline in Gaza as currency shortage deepens (https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/r1kgmxc2r)

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