Paper currency of Kyrgyzstan Photo: IC

Kyrgyzstan's central bank has commissioned well-known folk performers to sing about inflation and interest rates in an ad campaign aimed at improving financial literacy in the country. 

In the first ad, running on television and online, popular singer-songwriter Bayan Akhmatov strums a lute-like instrument called the komuz as he praises the central bank for its work to bring down inflation. 

"Without this, our economy would collapse," he sings, wearing a traditional black-and-white high felt hat and embroidered jacket. 

The bank said in a statement it chose folk singers to perform in a series of five ads because it wanted to reach the public through "traditional, historically established channels."

"It's not easy for an ordinary  to understand what the country's central bank does," it said.

The central bank said the ads will not only inform people about exchange rates and monetary policy but also give tips on housekeeping and family budgets.