JP\/3\/CANDIES\/0<\/p>\n
Dispute over candy for change rages as traders cite convenience<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta's supermarkets are responding to
\nscathing criticism of their candy for change policy by insisting
\nthat the sweets are the handiest substitute when they are short
\nof small-denomination coins.<\/p>\n
It is not easy to get small change at nearby banks, Nani, who
\ncoordinates the activities of cashiers at the Gelael Melawai
\nSupermarket in the Blok M area of South Jakarta, said over the
\nweekend.<\/p>\n
\"Nor is it easy for us to regularly go to Bank Indonesia
\n(central bank), which is quite far from here, just to get the
\nnecessary coins,\" she said, adding that the supermarket currently
\nhas only one car at disposal.<\/p>\n
Last week the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) released
\na report, signed by Agus Pambagio, the foundation's executive
\nsecretary, which accused supermarkets of committing a \"criminal\"
\nact by returning candy instead of coins in change to shoppers
\nbecause the sweets are not legal tender.<\/p>\n
The report quoted an official of the central bank as saying
\nthat it assured the availability of small change and invited
\nsupermarkets to exchange their money at its offices.<\/p>\n
According to the report, the central bank has never withdrawn
\ncoins of Rp 1, Rp 5, Rp 10, Rp 25 and Rp 50 from circulation.<\/p>\n
For that reason, the supermarkets are expected to have such
\ncoins on hand even though the smallest denomination -- one rupiah
\n-- is worth only 46 thousandths of a U.S. cent.<\/p>\n
The consumer foundation report appealed to shoppers to ask for
\nthe coins because they are a legal means of payment and candies
\nare not.<\/p>\n
H.E. Dahlan, president of the Golden Truly supermarket chain,
\ncountered that the central bank is unable to provide the chain
\nwith enough coins. \"We always try to get the coins from the
\ncentral bank but it was not able to meet our demand.\"<\/p>\n
Nani also said experience shows that shoppers prefer candy to
\ncoins which are worth only Rp 5 or Rp 10 as change.<\/p>\n
\"We provide two kinds of candy. The first is worth Rp 25 per
\npiece and the other Rp 10 per piece,\" Nani said, adding that she
\nsometimes combined both kinds as change.<\/p>\n
\"If the change is Rp 45, we always give Rp 50 instead of
\ncandy,\" she added.<\/p>\n
When asked why the supermarket does not round off prices so
\nthat small-denomination coins would not be needed for change,
\nNani said that the current pricing method common among
\nsupermarkets was better than rounding off prices upwards because
\nthat would make things seem more expensive.<\/p>\n
Fan Han Ling, the assistant manager of the Hero Supermarket in
\nBlok M Plaza, South Jakarta, said giving candy to shoppers
\ninstead of coins in change is a common practice among
\nsupermarkets and that none of the store's customers have lodged
\nany complaints about it.<\/p>\n
Fan said that everyday his office asks for change in small
\ndenominations from the head office, which sends coins over.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes the head office sends us enough small change but
\nsometimes the change they send us does not suffice so that we
\nhave to give customers candy instead.\"<\/p>\n
Fan said the prices at Hero supermarkets are always multiples
\nof 25 so that the cashiers never have to deal with the smaller
\ncoins such as Rp 5 or Rp 10 which are no longer in common use.
\n(06)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp3candies0-1447899208",
"image": ""
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