IMIA Hits the Ground Running

The official launch of the International Mint Industry Association (IMIA) took place at the World Money Fair in Berlin.

The IMIA has been established to promote cash and coin access and acceptance, with six mints as founding members. Martina Horakova is the Managing Director, Gerhard Starsich of the Austrian Mint its President and Marc Schwarz of Monnaie de Paris its Vice-President.

Appropriately for a research-based organisation, in January the IMIA issued a brief making the case for cash and for freedom of choice. The brief gave seven unique advantages of cash. The case made is not new, but it is a succinct document presented in a fresh way, focusing on both the personal and national stabilising functions of cash.

• National critical infrastructure resilience