After studying the third session topic entitled Exchange rate and also read the additional material,

please give your opinion about the following issue.

Lately, the rupiah exchange rate against the dollar has been decreasing. What can you do as a citizen
to help government in maintaining Rupiah exchange rate?

Answer :
Assalamualaikum dan Salam Hormat. Berikut saya menjawab terkait soal diskusi diatas.

Although the decline in the value of the Rupiah is the responsibility of the government, we as
citizens can also help the government in solving this problem. Here are five ways that we can do to
help the Rupiah to avoid a decline in the exchange rate:

1. Buying Domestic Products and Refraining from Imported Products

The easiest thing to do to help the government is to avoid buying imported products so that the
Rupiah gets stronger. You can change your purchase to domestically made products, regardless of
the difference in quality with imported products. There are still many local products that are of no
less quality and have even penetrated the international market. Today's society is also famous for
changing cellphones quickly. Delaying buying cellphones and electronic goods, most of which are
imported goods, can help increase the value of the Rupiah.

2. Not Hoarding Dollars and Exchanging It with Rupiah

Next, you must be more daring to hold Rupiah. You must believe and continue to use this currency
and not participate in exchanging it into Dollars which will worsen the value of the Rupiah. Sooner or
later, the value of this currency will strengthen again. Some of you have more financial capabilities
and usually keep Dollars as part of their financial portfolio. Dollar is used as part of investment
diversification. The current condition can be a momentum for you to play a role in saving the
nation's economy by exchanging your dollar savings into Rupiah.

3. Entrepreneurship with Export Orientation

The weakening of the value of the Rupiah is the right moment for you who are business-minded,
especially if you have a dream to produce products that can penetrate the international market. One
example of a business that you can pursue is handicrafts, where native Indonesian handicrafts are
widely known abroad. The decline in the Rupiah exchange rate made the prices of Indonesian export
products relatively cheaper compared to products from other countries. By exporting your products,
you are helping the government in collecting foreign exchange.

4. Travel and Enjoy Domestic Tourism

Another thing that can help the government is to first restrain the desire to travel abroad and
encourage the development of the domestic tourism sector which is expected to accelerate foreign
exchange earnings. Tourist destinations in Indonesia are no less beautiful than places in other
countries. You can take advantage of this moment to enjoy Indonesia, which in turn will encourage
exchange rate stability in the short term.

5. Travel by Public Transport

What does the use of public transportation have to do with the Rupiah currency? The use of public
transportation is very effective to save fuel consumption. If you save on the use of fuel, then the
amount of fuel that the government must import can be reduced so that foreign exchange reserves
can be used for other policies. This method is the simplest thing in helping the Rupiah exchange rate.

6. Not Taking Advantage of Weak Rupiah Conditions

Finally, when the Dollar exchange rate increases, many Indonesians exchange their Rupiah in the
hope that they can make a profit in the future. This further depresses the Rupiah exchange rate.
Therefore, we all need to cultivate a strong sense of nationalism so as not to be tempted to take
advantage of the decline in the value of the Rupiah.

Sumber :
1. Modul ADBI4201 “Bahasa Inggris Niaga” Module 3
2. Pemikiran sendiri yang diperoleh dari sumber diatas (nomor 1)