B

ank Indonesia (BI)’s Surakarta office in Central Java has prepared Rp 4.5 trillion in small change to meet a demand for new small banknotes for the Idul Fitri celebration, which marks the end of the Ramadhan fasting month.

The amount is expected to be Rp 700 million more than the Rp 3.8 trillion in small notes prepared last year.

Office head Bandoe Widiarto predicted that the need for new small banknotes ahead of Idul Fitri this year would increase by Rp 18.5 percent from last year.

“Demand for new small banknotes increases every year,” Bandoe said on Monday.

The exchange of new small banknotes will be conducted in two batches; the first batch is set for June 7-16 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m., while the second will run from June 20 to 30 every day except Fridays.

Between June 27 and 30, the office will also provide mobile exchange services conducted together with four other banks at Vastenburg Fortress.

“This is our way of squeezing out banknote middlemen,” said Bandoe, adding that Rp 100,000 in new small banknotes would be exchanged for Rp 100,000 at BI’s offices and not for Rp 110,000, as demanded by middlemen.

Separately, deputy BI Surakarta head Hendik Sudaryanto said that to ensure even distribution, exchanges would be limited to Rp 4.4 million per week per person.

“Each ID card holder may only conduct one exchange per week, at a maximum of Rp 4.4 million,” Hendik said.