European Central Bank Stops Printing 500-

Euro Banknote
The European Central Bank has announced that it will stop
producing the 500-euro banknote. It has become popular
among money launderers, drug traffickers and terrorists,
who move large amounts of money in small bags or
briefcases. The banknotes that are in circulation now can
continue to be used, but they will slowly be exchanged for
smaller bills. The 500-euro banknote will be phased out
completely by 2018. It can be exchanged at national central
banks of EU states at any time after this date.

Such large banknotes are not so popular in many countries.

In the United States, the largest banknote is the $100 bill.
After World War II the US stopped producing $500 and
$1000 bills.

Money experts welcome the decision by the EU’s main

banking authority. They say that with smaller banknotes
criminals will find it more difficult to handle large amounts
of money without being noticed.

500-euro banknotes are not used very much in everyday

life. While many people are afraid of losing them, some
shops do not even accept them. The 500-euro banknote
accounts for 30% of the value of all euro banknotes but only
3% of all paper euros in circulation.

The discussion about large banknotes has been going on for

a long time. Especially after the terrorist attacks in Paris and
Brussels many experts have called for a ban on large bills
because terrorists may use them to pay for their activities.
While there are many illegal ways of hiding and transferring
money, using cash is among the most popular.
Vocabularies
accept = take them
account for = to form the total of something
amount = how much of something
announce = to say officially
authority = here: an organization that controls something
ban = forbid
bill = banknote
briefcase = flat box used for carrying documents and business items
cash = banknotes and metal money
circulation = here: the money that moves around in a country
completely = altogether
handle = deal with
decision = choice
drug trafficker = person who buys and sells drugs
especially = above all
European Central Bank = the central bank for countries that use the
euro
exchange = to give something instead of something else
illegal = against the law
main = most important
money launderer = person who moves money that has been made
from illegal activities through other banks so that it is hard to find
out where it came from
notice = to see or become aware of something
phase out = to slowly stop using something
popular = much liked
value = what something is worth
welcome = here: to be in favour of something
Terjemahan
Bank Sentral Eropa Menghentikan Pencetakan Uang Kertas 500-
Euro

Bank Sentral Eropa telah mengumumkan bahwa mereka akan

berhenti memproduksi uang kertas 500 euro. Ini telah menjadi
populer di kalangan pencuci uang, pengedar narkoba dan teroris,
yang memindahkan sejumlah besar uang dalam tas kecil atau tas
kerja. Uang kertas yang beredar sekarang dapat terus digunakan,
tetapi mereka perlahan akan ditukar dengan uang kertas yang lebih
kecil. Uang kertas 500 euro akan dihapus sepenuhnya pada 2018.
Uang kertas ini dapat ditukar di bank sentral nasional negara-negara
UE kapan saja setelah tanggal ini.

Uang kertas sebesar itu tidak begitu populer di banyak negara. Di

Amerika Serikat, uang kertas terbesar adalah uang kertas $ 100.
Setelah Perang Dunia II AS berhenti memproduksi uang kertas $
500 dan $ 1000.

Pakar uang menyambut keputusan tersebut oleh otoritas perbankan

utama UE. Mereka mengatakan bahwa dengan para penjahat uang
kertas yang lebih kecil akan merasa lebih sulit untuk menangani
sejumlah besar uang tanpa diketahui.

Uang kertas 500 euro tidak banyak digunakan dalam kehidupan

sehari-hari. Sementara banyak orang takut kehilangan mereka,
beberapa toko bahkan tidak menerimanya. Uang kertas 500 euro
menyumbang 30% dari nilai semua uang kertas euro tetapi hanya
3% dari semua euro kertas yang beredar.

Diskusi tentang uang kertas besar telah berlangsung lama. Terutama

setelah serangan teroris di Paris dan Brussel, banyak ahli
menyerukan larangan tagihan besar karena teroris dapat
menggunakannya untuk membayar kegiatan mereka. Meskipun ada
banyak cara ilegal untuk menyembunyikan dan mentransfer uang,
menggunakan uang tunai adalah yang paling populer