The president's press secretary, Askat Alagozov, posted a video in which Japarov clarifies whether there are plans to start independent printing of banknotes in the country by the end of the year.
In response to the president's question, the chief of staff Kanibek Tumanbaev and the chairman of the National Bank Melis Turgunbaev confirmed that all necessary preparations have been completed, and the printing of banknotes will begin on November 17.
Additionally, the president inquired about the possibility of printing all other banknotes, including the 5,000 soms, starting from the middle of next year, to which he also received a positive response.
It is worth noting that in March of this year, it was reported that the production of Kyrgyz soms would begin at the Uchkun plant. At that time, the first sample of the new banknotes was presented to the president, and the chairman of the National Bank noted that at the initial stage, it is planned to print lower denomination banknotes.
Earlier in 2023, it was announced that Kyrgyzstan would start printing its banknotes domestically.
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The issuance of the som, the national currency of Kyrgyzstan, is under the control of the National Bank.
Previously, foreign printing houses, such as Oberthur Fiduciaire (France) and Crane Currency (USA), were used for printing banknotes.
The National Bank reports that in 2023, about 584 million soms were spent on the production of banknotes and coins.
Although the cost of printing one banknote is not disclosed, the regulator assures that it does not exceed the denomination of the banknote itself.
Currently, banknotes in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 5000 soms are in circulation.
The new series of banknotes issued in 2023–2024 includes modern security features—holographic stripes, color-changing elements, and micro-optics, significantly reducing the risk of counterfeiting.
