| By Rosli Abidin
Yahya
Tourists from Brunei Darussalam
to Singapore are wondering whether they should change their
currencies to Singapore dollars as some business establishments
there, including taxi drivers are now reluctant to take Brunei
dollars even though both currencies are at par.
Such precaution maybe needed to
avoid embarrassment as some shops, restaurants and even taxi
drivers had refused to accept Brunei dollars in the past.
The reluctance of Singapore
people to accept Brunei currencies began since last November as
a result of fake emails circulating amongst the business
establishment there.
However, official statements
made by the Brunei Ministry of Finance (MoF) and Monetary
Authorities of Singapore (MAS) dispelled the rumours that the
Brunei dollar had devalued and no longer at par with the
Singapore dollar.
According to the MoF statement,
"The Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang
Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam wishes to reiterate and confirm
that the Interchangeability Agreement between Singapore and
Brunei providing for the acceptance of the two countries'
currencies at par is still intact.
"There are no plans to
review the position," the statement read.
The statements was said to
revert the situation and some establishments in Singapore
continue to accept Brunei dollars. However, some shops still
refused to accept Brunei dollars.
The Brunei dollar is customary
tender in Singapore, meaning that only banks and the MAS are
fully obliged to accept it. Singapore and Brunei had signed the
agreement June 9, 1967, which allows currencies from the two
countries to be used interchangeably at par.
A tourist from Brunei
Darussalam who went to Singapore recently said he was shocked to
find that a taxi would not accept Brunei dollars as payment.
"The driver asked me to
change Brunei dollars at banks or moneychangers. Because the
value of Brunei and Singapore dollars is at par, not many
moneychangers obligingly agreed to change my Brunei dollars
since they did not make profit.
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