Different exchange rates

Different exchange rates

Being in Subang on Jan. 31, 1996 and seeing a Bank Central
Asia branch I decided to change 1,000 Dutch guilders. The money
was given to me for a friend's sister, who was ill. Two days
later I changed guilders at my BCA branch in Lembang. To my
pleasant surprise I received Rp 30 more per guilder and the bank
employee told me that I could have received Rp 35 more per
guilder on Jan. 31 if I had changed the money in Lembang.

Why the difference? The explanation I was given in Subang was
that foreign money was a rare commodity there. Well, because of
my ignorance my friend's sister received Rp 35,000 less than she
should have.

Last year I experience something different. When changing
American dollars at BCA's main branch in Bandung, two banknotes
were refused (they looked normal to me) and for one $20 note I
was penalized Rp 10 per dollar because there was an inkblot on
it, a tiny one! Back in Amsterdam I changed the refused American
dollars without any trouble.

C.R. THIEMANN BEELT

Bandung, West Java