The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has introduced a fresh supply of MVR 100 banknotes, citing a lack of the currently circulating notes.

In a statement released on Monday, the central bank announced that the extra stock was brought in to tackle the shortage of MVR 100 notes from the Randhiha Faheh series, which have been in use for several years.

MMA verified that the recently launched notes will coexist with current MVR 100 notes, and that the legal tender status of previously issued currency will remain unchanged.

This isn't the first occasion the authority has made such a move. Last year, MMA printed and issued extra MVR 100 notes due to similar shortages, with those notes starting circulation in January.

The Randhiha Faheh series was initially launched in January 2016 as part of a wider enhancement of Maldivian currency notes. The series was created to enhance durability, portability, and security relative to previous versions of the Maldivian Rufiyaa.

The Randhiha Faheh notes include security features that are sensitive to ultraviolet light, such as the serial numbers and denomination value, which only reveal themselves when viewed under UV light and remain undetectable in regular lighting.

MMA has previously indicated that these attributes aim to enhance anti-counterfeiting measures while maintaining user-friendliness for the general public.