A press release by the Bank of Mauritius confirms that it aims to begin issuing a new series of banknotes from 2017.

A media release dated 17 June 2016 has been presented by the country’s central bank detailing the reasons behind the new banknote series.

There are currently seven denominations circulating within the country; Rs25, Rs50, Rs100, Rs200, Rs500, Rs1,000 and Rs2,000. These were last issued on 24 August 1999, though there have been several upgrades since this date to improve the banknotes’ security features. The three lower banknote denominations were upgraded to polymer substrates in August 2013.

The new notes are likely to include illustrative elements of the country’s flora, fauna and landscapes instead of the portraits of personalities which are used in the current banknote designs. The Bank of Mauritius has set up a Banknote Design Committee to propose the themes of the new notes.

Read the media release in full at the Bank of Mauritius website.