Retailers Told to Stock Euro Cash

"The retailers probably want to cut costs, but if they return tolar cash after New Year's they can face fines. This would also extend the elimination of tolars from circulation," the head of the association, Dusan Hocevar, told the press.

Hocevar said he understood that stocking up on coins entails significant costs, but he warned the retailers that they could run out of euro cash in the first few days following the changeover.

Meanwhile, the banks are well prepared for the euro switch, and no problems are expected with automatic teller machines. "The results of testing are encouraging," according to Aleksander Kurtevski, the director of ATM network operator Bankart.

ATMs will be switched off briefly just before midnight on 31 December and brought back online soon after midnight. Bankart has several contingency plans which will be deployed depending on the type of problem that may arise, Kurtevski said.