Failed bid to exchange $100 notes for my dad

THE EDITOR: I refer to a letter published in the Newsday on August 10 by Linda Capildeo, entitled "Allow $100 notes exchange again." I endorse the sentiments expressed.

I penned this letter to tell my own story. My father found $1,400 in a Belgroves Funeral Home envelope and asked me to get the notes exchanged after the date of exchange had passed as I worked in Port of Spain.

I visited the Central Bank and security pointed me to a sign which read, "No exchange of $100 cotton notes effective April 30, 2019," and informed me to keep looking out for an "announcement."

Not satisfied I send an e-mail to the Governor of the Central Bank and a response came from his secretary informing me that the exchange window was closed and directed me to an attached PDF. The PDF was an extract from the law governing the exchange. It indicated the period was closed from April 30, 2019.

There was actually still a way to have the notes exchanged, according to the law, by virtue of one being incarcerated during the period of exchange.

I have since spoken to others in whose possession $100 cotton notes still reside, in various amounts, namely $200, $1,000, $600 even $17,000 with no real prospect of ever being able to use them, however hard-earned or evil it came by.

I still remember the headline in a newspaper, entitled "$500 million in old notes missing."

It would be nice to be able to exchange this $1,400 cotton notes in my possession. I have since instead reimbursed my father from my own pocket minus the envelope it came in.

FARAD ALI

via e-mail