Thursday, August 03, 2006

Currency: Venezuela proposes zero tolerance for zeros

Venezuela's lawmakers are considering simplifying the country's monetary unit by doing away with zeros.

The Finance Commission in the National Assembly has approved a monetary reform proposal that would do away with zeros in the currency. Currently the smallest bill in Venezuela is 1,000 bolivars (47 U.S. cents). One of the proposals raised is to do away with the three zeros, turning 1,000 bolivars into one "new bolivar."