Counterfeit banknotes cause anxiety

Counterfeit banknotes cause anxiety

The forgery of banknotes now involves not only those of five, ten, twenty and fifty thousand rupiah denominations, but reportedly also one hundred rupiah bills. Bank Indonesia has confirmed that thousands of forged Rp 100,000 notes are circulating in the country. In fact, this largest denomination, note, which is printed abroad and has special security features, was originally believed to be hard to counterfeit. But money forgers never stop contriving ways to produce counterfeit notes despite the difficulties they face. Some printing houses now have the capability to produce such notes.

How should we deal with the circulation of counterfeit bills? First, we should realize that whatever the circumstances crooks will always be around, including those who counterfeit money. Therefore, notwithstanding the anxiety it causes, the public should react in a reasonable manner.

Meanwhile, the banks should be able to install technology to ensure that the notes dispensed from automatic teller machines are guaranteed genuine, thus safeguarding their customers' interests.

In conclusion, the prevailing public concerns over the widespread circulation of phony cash need to be contained to avoid any excesses for the sake of tranquility in society, as a panic response would only be more harmful.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta