VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

From 1 to 9 November 2018, Maluku region to East Nusa Tenggara –NTT becomes the transit areas of Bank Indonesia mobile cash -BI. This activity is part of Bank Indonesia's services on remote, foremost and outermost islands (3T) with the name "Exploring the Archipelago, Defending Country without Weapons". This was affirmed by Head of the Bank Indonesia Money Management Department, Heru Pranoto to the media on Jamdena Island, West Southeast Maluku Regency, Maluku province on last Sunday (4/11).

Head of Expedition Team of mobile cash at the 3T, Bonaryadi said that BI in collaboration with the Indonesian Navy holds a Mobile Cash Expedition to renew the physical rupiah owned by residents in the 3T islands. In detail, the activities include the exchange of new money, the socialization of the authenticity of the rupiah to minimize counterfeit money, and worn-out or improper circulation of money. Besides, there is also provision of social assistance such as free medical examinations and treatment. Heru added that the mobile cash activities on the 3T islands have been carried out by BI and the Indonesian Navy since 2012 for 38 times and with the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs for 9 times.

For this year, BI will conduct 14 mobile cash activity, and this is the 12 times held on 3T islands. Meanwhile, BI will also implement it on some islands in East Java, Ambon and Papua.

The struggle of Bank Indonesia and Indonesian Navy to reach remote, foremost and outermost islands deserves being appreciated. Strong sea waves and bad weather become a distinctive challenge. They are likely to take high risk of bringing new money to the people of Indonesia in remote places. The exchange of the worn-out money aims to enable people in the 3T region to feel or see the latest money of Indonesia issued by the government recently.

It is still inherent in the Indonesian nation's memory of how Indonesia lost its two islands: Sipadan and Ligitan over the dispute against Malaysia. The reason was that there was no rupiah circulating on the two islands. For this reason, Indonesian’s central bank -BI must strengthen the distribution of national currency on the border and outermost islands so that similar problem will not occur anymore.

Actually, what can Indonesian citizens do in big cities to maintain rupiah sovereignty? Of course, it is by loving the rupiah without buying dollars or other foreign currencies for personal gain. They should also prioritize the consumption of domestic products instead of foreign ones.