The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has brought a new stock of MVR 100 banknotes into circulation, citing a shortage of the existing notes currently in use.
In a statement issued on Monday, the central bank said the additional stock was imported to address limited availability of MVR 100 notes from the Randhiha Faheh series, which have been in circulation for several years.
MMA confirmed that the newly introduced notes will circulate alongside existing MVR 100 notes, and that there will be no change to the legal tender status of previously issued currency.
This is not the first time the authority has taken such a step. MMA last year also printed and released additional MVR 100 notes after facing similar shortages, with those notes entering circulation in January.
The Randhiha Faheh series was first introduced in January 2016 as part of a broader upgrade of Maldivian banknotes. The series was designed to improve durability, portability and security compared to earlier issues of the Maldivian Rufiyaa.
Among the security features incorporated into the Randhiha Faheh notes are ultraviolet-sensitive elements, including serial numbers and the denomination value, which become visible only under UV light and are not detectable under normal lighting conditions.
MMA has previously stated that these features are intended to strengthen protection against counterfeiting while ensuring ease of use for the public.
