Let every Singaporean have bicentennial $20 note

The Singapore Bicentennial commemorative currency note. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

It is heartening to know that more Singapore Bicentennial $20 notes will be issued later this year (Two million more bicentennial $20 notes to be issued, June 15).

It must have been very disappointing for many who queued up for hours only to be turned away because the banks ran out of these commemorative notes to mark our nation's bicentennial year.

It is disheartening to read that some members of the public who managed to exchange these notes at face value then listed them on online marketplaces to try to make a profit.

I suggest the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) make these notes available to Singaporeans first. As was the case with the SG50 commemorative notes when we celebrated our nation's 50th anniversary.

It is appropriate for all Singaporeans to own at least a piece of this history as a keepsake.

Since there is a strong demand and the stock is limited, perhaps MAS could consider capping the number of notes for exchange at 10 per transaction instead.

Hopefully with these measures, it would also serve as a deterrence to people, who own more notes than they want, from listing them online for sale.

Chan Chee Beng

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