Cash X Change

07/04/2015

MENGENALI MONEY CHANGER BERIJIN
Seorang turis asing datang ke sebuah tempat penukaran uang resmi di jalan Oberoi, Seminyak dengan terengah-engah, ditangannya dia memengang erat 5 lembar uang AUD pecahan 100. Dia bercerita baru saja habis bedebat sengit dengan penukar uang illegal tidak jauh dari sana, uang rupiah hasil penukaran dikurangi dengan sengaja oleh mereka dan dia akhirnya berhasil setelah harus merebut dengan paksa.
Hal ini seharusnya tidak terjadi di Bali sebagai salah satu tempat favorit wisatawan mancanegara. Tempat penukaran uang asing yang berjumlah ratusan tersebar mulai dari counter bank yang nyaman di terminal kedatangan internasional di airport Ngurah Rai, hingga di meja kecil dengan tulisan spidol angka rate pada papan sederhana di pinggiran jalan. Semuanya mengatakan berijin dan resmi. Tapi sudah sangat banyak pengaduan dari turis asing adanya praktek penipuan yang merugikan hingga jutaan rupiah.
Muncul pertanyaan di semua orang, kenapa sampai terjadi maraknya aksi penipuan transaksi penukaran uang asing di Bali yang notabene mengandalkan pariwisata? Siapa sih yang berwenang dan kemana mereka, apakah mereka tidak melihat hal ini? Karena kalau terus dibiarkan maka perlahan turis akan enggan bertransaksi di semua money changer termasuk yang jujur dan resmi. Turis akan lebih memilih menukar di Bank atau menggunakan ATM untuk menarik rupiah dari kartu kreditnya. Kasian sekali perusahaan penukaran uang resmi yang dengan jujur melakukan transaksinya. Omsetnya akan menurun dan akan banyak pemutusan tenaga kerja yang terjadi. Sebenarnya bagaimanakah mengenali penukaran uang resmi tersebut? Berikut ciri-ciri nya :
1. Memiliki sertifikat asli dari Bank Indonesia yang di pajang di ruang transaksinya. Seperti gambar dibawah ini. (Alamat yang tercantum harus sama dengan alamat dimana berada)
2. Memiliki logo hologram Bank Indonesia yang dipajang di ruang transaksinya

3. Memajang Surat Keterangan Tempat Usaha yang ditandatangani Kepala Lingkungan, Lurah dan Camat

4. Memajang Piagam Anggota Asosiasi Pedagang Valuta Asing yang dikeluarkan oleh Pengurus Asosiasi Pedagang Valuta Asing Bali


Tetapi kita dapat juga mengenali secara cepat apakah money changer tersebut legal dan bukan sedang melakukan penipuan adalah dengan melihat rate nya yang tertera di papan rate nya di depan tokonya. Rate yang tertulis pasti sangat tinggi dan tidak masuk akal. Contohnya apabila secara umum di internet ratenya 12.100 maka money changer illegal akan mencantumkan 12.599
Sebenarnya sudah ada perkembangan baru dari Bank Indonesia selaku pihak berwenang, sudah ada peraturan terbaru yaitu PBI No.16/15/pbi/2014 tentang Kegiatan Usaha Penukaran Valuta Asing Bukan Bank yang salah satunya berisi sanksi bagi money changer tidak berijin atau money changer berijin yang bekerjasama dengan money changer tidak berijin. Kemudian dalam waktu tidak lama lagi akan ada kerjasama Bank Indonesia dengan pihak kepolisian daerah Bali untuk menindak money changer tidak berijin tersebut.
Memang adapula money changer berijin yang kasirnya melakukan penipuan dengan sengaja mengurangi uang transaksi. Bila hal ini terjadi tamu sebenarnya dapat segera melaporkan hal ini juga ke petugas polisi terdekat yang akan menindak dengan segera.
Sekali lagi anda harus tetap kejelian dan kembali menghitung dalam transkasi keuangan dimanapun. Semoga tulisan ini dapat berguna bagi anda.
*Penulis Binsar Tampubolon. [email protected]
Direktur PT.Semangat Anak Rantau “Cash x Change”
Pengurus Asosiasi Pedagang Valuta Asing Daerah Bali 2013-2016

07/04/2015

07/04/2015

How to Identify an Authorized Money Changer in Bali

A foreign tourist visiting an official exchange on jalan Oberoi, Seminyak area in panting, while holding 5 bills of AUD 100 denomination tightly in his hand. He told us he’d just finished arguing fiercely with an illegal money changer located not far from there, the Rupiah proceeds of the exchange were reduced intentionally by them and eventually he managed to get the rest after having grabbed it by force.

This incident should not have happened in Bali as one of the foreign tourists’ favorite havens. Hundreds of Money changers have sprung up, being scattered ranging from comfortable bank counters in the international arrivals terminal at the Ngurah Rai airport to small counters with an Exchange rate in marker writing on the plain board on the sidewalk. All of them claim they’re authorized and licensed. There have been, however, numerous complaints from foreign tourists regarding the fraudulent practices incurred to have caused loss of millions of dollars to tourists.

Now that it has taken place so many times for a long time, some questions and curiosity begin to arise in everyone’s mind, why there have been bunch of rampant scams in foreign exchange transactions in Bali that in fact count on tourism? Who has got the authority to deal with such matters and we wonder where they are, whether they are not aware of this reality? Because if we allow this to continue happening , sooner or later tourists would be reluctant to deal with all the money changers including the honest and authorized ones. Then tourists would prefer to have their foreign currencies exchanged in bank or using an ATM to withdraw rupiahs from their credit cards. It would be pitiful for the authorized money changers who invariably honestly carry out their transactions. In turn their turnovers would keep declining and eventually lots of lay offs would seemingly be inevitable. Actually, how to recognize or identify the official and authorized money changers? Here are the following characteristics that can be used as guidance

1. It has got the original certificate of Bank Indonesia on display in the exchange room. As shown below. (The listed address should correspond to the address where it’s located )


2. It should have a hologram logo of Bank Indonesia on display in the exchange room

3. It has got to display Business License Location or Premise Certificate signed by the Head of Community, District and Sub district Head.



4. It has got to display the Foreign Exchange Association Member Charter issued by the Management of Foreign Exchange Association of the Bali Chapter


But we can also easily identify whether the money changers are legal and not doing fraud by noticing the exchange rate stated on their respective exchange rate board in front of his shop. Their rates are always displayed higher and unreasonable. For instance, if the internet rate shows Rp 12,100 for one USD , the illegal money changers will display it as Rp 12,999

As a matter of fact, there has been a new progress made by the Central Bank , Bank Indonesia as the authorities, by issuing regulation no PBI 16/15 / PBI / 2014 on Business Activities of Foreign Exchange for Non Banks, which contains sanctions for Unduly licensed money changers or licensed money changers who work with the illegal money changers. In the near future there will be cooperation between the Bank Indonesia and Bali provincial police to crack down on such unlicensed money changers.

In fact, undeniably there are licensed money changers whose cashiers commit fraud deliberately by reducing the proceeds of currency exchange. If this happens, the guests can immediately report this to the nearest police officer who will act upon it immediately.
Once again you must remain careful and recalculate the proceeds of financial transaction anywhere. Hopefully this article can be useful for you.

*Authored by Binsar Tampubolon. [email protected]
The Management of Foreign Exchange Association of the Bali Chapter for the period 2013-2016
Director of PT.Semangat Anak Rantau “Cash x Change”