National Bank of Poland reports little interest in euro on first day of trading

While the introduction of the euro proceeded smoothly across the European Union (EU), in Poland currency exchange bureaus faced problems as most of them did not have enough of the currency available. Only a few of the bureaus had pre-purchased euros from the banks, with most preferring to buy the single currency from their clients. Many banks remained closed yesterday, and the full impact of the euro's introduction will only be felt when they all reopen today. According to Marek Michalski, a senior public communications official with the National Bank of Poland (NBP), the euro's first day was quiet, with just 30 people seeking to buy the single currency at the bank's main office in Warsaw. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, B1) M.T.K.