Residents becoming comfortable with euro changeover

From wire reports, RIGA

One-and-a-half days before the end of the year, most Latvian residents who call the euro hotline inquire about practical aspects of the euro changeover, said Jolanta Serma from the Finance Ministry's Communications Department, reports LETA.

The highest number of calls was received on Dec. 27 and 28, said Serma, adding that caller activity was expected to increase this afternoon (Dec. 30) and tomorrow. On the average, around a hundred people call every day, inquiring about the various aspects of Latvia's accession to the eurozone, she said.

According to Serma, people are now less concerned or worried about the euro changeover than before. The most frequent questions deal with the design of euro coins and bills, places where lats will be exchanged for euros, the official lat-euro exchange rate, and such.

As of end-December, the majority of callers appear to be well informed about the euro changeover process, and those who call the hotline usually want to clarify a few nuances that are not yet clear to them.

The 8000-3000 hotline will operate 24 hours tomorrow and Jan. 1, whereas today, calls will be accepted until 10 p.m.