Drop in calls to euro line

Over 1,500 calls were received by the euro line 154 last month, a spokesman for the National Euro Changeover Committee said.

The number of calls marked a decrease over the previous month, when the number of calls almost reached 2,000, bringing the total number to 3,451.

The biggest percentage of enquiries - 442 - revolved around the FAIR initiative, a commitment to display correct prices in both lira and euro launched in December. This was followed by 183 enquiries about the exchange rate, 148 on dual display and 120 on conversion of the lira into euro. Almost 100 people enquired about cash registers, although the spokesman said these did not need to be changed.

The spokesman said the number of calls are expected to increase now that Malta has applied to join the eurozone.

"The success of the euro helpline is an indication that people are eager for further information on the subject," he said, adding that the change would affect everybody and the committee was trying to reach everyone. He said more initiatives were lined up for the coming months.