100 Trillion Note

According to a news report Zimbabwe has issued a 100 Trillion dollar currency bill. Wow ! I cannot even count the number of zeros in 100 trillion let alone carry 100 trillion Zimbabwean One dollar bills in my purse or on my person. That makes me think how easy it would be there to pass on 100 trillions under the table to grease someone’s palm.  No wonder most corruption free countries do not have high value currency notes as the bribe and corruption is always transacted in cash and not through cheques which could be easily tracked and traced back.  And since their currency bills are of low value, passing on of large amounts in Yens, Yuan and, Liras is almost impossible. One would have to carry the small denomination notes literally in sacks and bags to make it a worthwhile amount.  Even in the USA there is no bill higher than 100 US Dollars, unlike Pakistan’s Rs. 5,000/= note.  One has just to carry is 2 bundles of 5000/- rupees notes in one&r squo;s trousers’ pocket and that will make Ten Lac rupees to be palmed off to some Khanzeer Khor without even the person sitting next to him noticing it.

How I wish we don’t have a currency bill of more than Rs. 100/- value?  I bet it will curtail corruption to a great extent.

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)