​Counterfeit Rupiah Prevention Strategy
Rupiah is the monetary unit and legal tender in the unitary Republic of
Indonesia, a symbol of national sovereignty that must be proudly respected
by all residents. According to its rupiah management mandate, Bank
Indonesia has a mission to meet the currency needs of the public of
appropriate denominations, fit for circulation, delivered just in time
through a central bank driven mechanism in line with the direction of
cashless policy, while prioritising efficiency and the national interest.
One of the challenges Bank Indonesia faces in terms of rupiah currency
management is the circulation of counterfeit rupiah.
The Currency Act (No. 7 of 2011) defines counterfeit rupiah as an item of
which the material, size, colour and/or design resembles rupiah that is
illegally produced, formed, printed, duplicated, circulated or used as a
payment instrument. Rupiah counterfeiting is illegal, incurs public losses
and can erode public trust in the rupiah.
​
Pursuant to the Currency Act, the Government seeks to eradicate counterfeit
rupiah through the Coordinating Board for Counterfeit Rupiah Eradication
(Botasupal). Botasupal consists of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN),
National Police of the Republic of Indonesia, Attorney General, Ministry of
Finance and Bank Indonesia. As an element of Botasupal, Bank Indonesia
plays an active role in the prevention of counterfeit rupiah based on three
salient pillars as follows:
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Preventive, measures
include rupiah currency standardisation, such as the size, colour,
design and security features, while utilising a database in Bank
Indonesia's Counterfeit Analysis Centre (BI-CAC) in order to enhance
the quality of the security features.
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Pre-emptive, measures seek
to increase public understanding concerning genuine rupiah through
education and building awareness concerning the importance of
maintaining rupiah banknotes in order to better identify
authenticity. In addition to face-to-face education, the public can
also download various social media concerning the features of
genuine rupiah from the Bank Indonesia website (link booklet CIKUR).
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Repressive, measures are
taken in coordination with all Botasupal elements in order to
optimise the legal sanctions against perpetrators of criminal acts
against the rupiah, counterfeiting in particular.
In accordance with the Currency Act, Bank Indonesia is the sole authority to
determine rupiah authenticity and the public may request clarification from
Bank Indonesia concerning any suspicious rupiah currency. Anyone who finds
suspicious rupiah currency in their day-to-day transactions are encouraged
to take the following measures:
-
Maintain the physical state of the suspicious currency and avoid
passing it on.
-
Report the find to the nearest bank branch or police station
accompanied by the physical currency or request direct clarification
from the closest Bank Indonesia branch office.
Any public reports of suspicious rupiah currency received by Bank Indonesia
directly or through another bank will be investigated further. Suspicious
currency that is not genuine cannot be exchanged. On the other hand,
suspicious currency that is deemed genuine can be exchanged in accordance
with prevailing regulations.
