"The government and the House of Representatives (DPR) have agreed that the government should put a signature on banknotes as of August 2014. The government signature on the banknotes will indicate that the money is valid currency in Indonesia," the finance minister said after a meeting with Bank Indonesia (BI/the central bank) Governor Darmin Nasution here on Tuesday.
He said that if the money was circulated with the government`s signature, the government and the Bank Indonesia would bear its consequences.
"It is the government`s commitment to bear the consequences, but the financing consequence would be borne by BI," he said.
Agus also denied the allegation that BI had never been involved in the drafting of a bill on currency because so far BI was always given information about it.
He said that deliberations on the currency bill would be done a small faction at the House`s Commission XI on financial affairs Tuesday night and if it was accepted it would be taken to the House`s plenary session for endorsement.
Earlier, BI Deputy Governor S Budi Rochadi reminded that the finance minister of the legal consequence if he also put his signature on the bank notes which based on the bill would be circulated beginning 2014.
"The issuance of the money is the responsibility of BI. If the minister also put his signature, he would be liable to monetary responsibility. So, if he does it, he should be aware of it," Budi Rochadi said.(*)
(A014/HAJM/a014)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
