OT: ISO 4217 MA messing with ISO 3166 codes

Hi Debbie,
 
As you seem to have friends in high places, please could you draw to the
attention of the BSI shadow committee for ISO 3166 that the ISO 4217 MA
(which just happens to be the BSI) is playing fast and loose with ISO
3166 codes.  The MA announced recently that the code for the currency of
Azerbaijan is changing from "AZM" to "AYM".  I protested to the MA and
to the World Bank, saying that the country code for Azerbaijan shows no
sign of changing from "AZ" to "AY" (currency codes for national
currencies are constructed from the ISO 3166 code plus an extra
character).  Despite this, SWIFT has today made the official
announcement below.  There appears to be no obvious way for users of
these codes to protest at seemingly arbitrary decisions (cf the "CS"
mess).
 
Thanks,
Misha

  _____  

From: Christine OLoughlin [mailto:Christine.O'Loughlin@BSI-GLOBAL.COM] 
Sent: 13 July 2005 14:56
To: Misha Wolf
Subject: RE: Re Amendment 127



   Dear Mr Wolf

 

The following is a broadcast from SWIFT to the World Bank, dated today

 

"MT: 094F Broadcast

  Sender: MLMLXXXXXXX

Send Ref: 000000/784771/05-07-13 08:58:00

Receiver: IBRDUS33XXX

          INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTI

          WASHINGTON, DC

   Owner: XXX IBRD                            Internal Priority: S

   Stage: Inb-Cmpl                                Next Activity: Micro-F

   Input: FIN     /FINIBR /4854  /873031/2005-07-13 04:58:34

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

:135:Broadcast:                      N

:136:Broadcast Num to all Users:     S 05569

:129:Section Number:                 01 /01

:130:Code Word(s):                   /30 /CURRENCY

/01/CODE CHANGE

:134:BIC, Name, City Broadcast Requester:

                                     SWHQBEBBBCT

                                     SWIFT HEADQUARTERS

                                     LA HULPE

                                     SWIFT HEADQUARTERS

                                     (BROADCAST REQUESTS ONLY)
:312:Broadcast Text:

NEW CURRENCY CODE IN AZERBAIJAN

.

PLEASE BE INFORMED THAT IN AZERBAIJAN, THE CURRENCY CODE 'AZM'

WILL BE REPLACED BY 'AYM' EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2006.

.

DETAILS OF THIS NEW CURRENCY CODE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

.

ALPHA CODE: AYM

CURRENCY NAME: AZERBAIJANIAN MANAT

FRACTIONAL DIGIT: 2

NUMERIC CODE: 945

.

THE CURRENCY TABLE ON THE SWIFT NETWORK WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE NEW
CURRENCY CODE 'AYM' ON 8 OCTOBER 2005.

.

THE FORMER CURRENCY CODE 'AZM' WILL REMAIN ON THE SWIFT NETWORK UNTIL
DECEMBER 2006. YOU WILL BE INFORMED OF ITS DELETION VIA A FUTURE
BROADCAST.

.

THE BIC DIRECTORY OF 3 DECEMBER 2005 WILL REFLECT THIS CHANGE.

.

BEST REGARDS,

SWIFT CUSTOMER OPERATIONS"

 

Regards

 

  _____  

From: Misha Wolf [mailto:Misha.Wolf@reuters.com] 
Sent: 13 July 2005 11:51
To: Christine OLoughlin
Subject: RE: Re Amendment 127

 

Dear Ms O'Loughlin,

 

Kindly let me know what progress if any there has been regarding the
matter I raised by email and phone.

 

Many thanks,

 

Misha Wolf

Standards Manager
Reuters

 

  _____  

From: Christine OLoughlin [mailto:Christine.O'Loughlin@BSI-GLOBAL.COM] 
Sent: 27 June 2005 08:58
To: Misha Wolf
Subject: Re Amendment 127

Thank you for your telephone call, 24 June.  I confirm that Azerbaijan
will change its currency code on 1 January 2006 to AYM 945  (minor unit
2).  This change of code is at the request of the National Bank of
Azerbaijan.

 

The currency will on 1 January 2006 be redenominated on the following
terms - 1 new Manat is equal to 5000 old Manats.

 

Regards

 

ISO 4217 MA/Secretariat

 

Email: currency@bsi-global.com

Fax: 020 8996 7187

 

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Received on Wednesday, 13 July 2005 14:12:11 UTC