Wanted: Coins, not gum, for change
Today’s The Peninsula, from Qatar, reports that many in that Emirate are frustrated with a growing practice by hypermarkets of giving chewing gum (or sweets), instead of actual change.
Here’s how the article describes the dilemma:
There is no shortage of 50-dirham (about US14¢±) coins in Qatar. This is contrary to what some hypermarkets and grocery store officials say to justify giving away cheap candies and chewing gums instead of the small denomination change.
Based on the Second Quarterly Statistical Bulletin for 2008 released by the Qatar Central Bank, there was QR11.52m worth of 50-dirham coins in circulation as of June this year. In other words, there were 23.04 million units of such coins in the country.
A recent post in Qatar Living (QL) entitled ‘Fifty Dirhams Robbery’ has solicited dozens of reactions from concerned residents with one respondent calling the act of giving out sweets that don’t sell instead of the 50-dirham change a ‘gum selling strategy’ of some hypermarkets and grocery stores.