"The currency is a symbol of state sovereignty. Therefore, let's treat Indonesian currency well, either by properly storing or using it, because the printing costs are expensive," he said while attending the "Puncak Hari Oeang" or “Money Day Summit” here on Saturday.
According to him, there is a need for wider dissemination of information to the public about handling physical money properly since Bank Indonesia (BI) does not mint currency arbitrarily.
"We need to continue to educate the public about how to treat currencies well because BI does not randomly print them. They print currency usually to change those that are already damaged, if they print too many, it can cause inflation," he explained.
Sutarmidji also emphasized that people, especially those residing in the border regions, must familiarize themselves with rupiah currency, not foreign currency.
"People who are in border areas must be familiar with the rupiah," he said.
Further, as the current era becomes more sophisticated, less physical money will be used in society, he added.
"We have to keep up with the developments. If still using physical money, especially in large transactions, I say it is an outdated generation. In the future, our wallet will be filled with cards," he added.
Meanwhile, on the same occasion, head of the BI Representative Office in West Kalimantan, Agus Chusaini, said that the designation of “Hari Oeang” or “Money Day” is a momentum for all Indonesians to appreciate rupiah currency more.
"We hope that the people of West Kalimantan can maintain and use rupiah, as a reflection of our love for Indonesia," he said.
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Translator: Rendhik A, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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