Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Trade Ministry and Bank Indonesia (BI or central bank) on Saturday launched a campaign to promote greater use of coins in daily trade transactions.

"People now tend to keep rather than use their coins," Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said on the occasion.

She said people who do not use coins in trade transactions were hampering the coins` circulation in the market and this would eventually increase demand for coins.

Citing an example, she said many retail shops tend to give candy or other small items instead of coins when they owe change to customers.

BI Governor Darmin Nasution meanwhile said on the same occasion peole tended to keep coins because there was no media or channel through which they could spend their coins.

To support the "Save National Coin" campaign, Darmin said, the Trade Ministry and BI had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Retail Businessmen (Aprindo) to set up coin exchange corners in retail stores throughout Indonesia.

Thousands of modern retail shops including Alfamart (1,050 outlets), Indomaret (1,050), Hero, Giant, Guardian (200), Circle K (200), Toserba Yogya (150), Carrefouur (80), Lottemart (50), Carrefour Express (20), Raja Fresh (10), Sabar Subur (10), Hypermart (70), Depo Bangunan (1 ), Diamond (10 ) and Ranch Market (10) were ready to accept coins from customers.

The retail chains also promised to give change in the form of cash instead of candy or other goods to customers.

Up till June 30, 2010, there were 15.5 billion coins worth 3.2 trillion Rupiah in circulation in the public with 100 Rupiah becoming the most excessive coins scattered in the market namely around 6.7 billion pieces.

At the end of 2010, BI would issue 1.6 billion coins, he said.(*)

Editor: Jafar M Sidik
COPYRIGHT © 2012

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