Currency crisis hurts PC sales<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The plunge in the rupiah's value has hurt the
\npersonal computer business in Indonesia, with sales dropping by
\n25 percent to 50 percent in the last two weeks.<\/p>\n
Vitriani, business manager of PT Arsitama Citra, a dealer of
\nGTC computer products, said most computer spare parts were
\npurchased in U.S. dollars, so the weak rupiah increased
\nassembling costs.<\/p>\n
\"We have had to increase our prices by at least 10 percent,\"
\nVitriani said.<\/p>\n
Paradise Computer, an IBM dealer, and Masterdata, a Toshiba
\nand Compaq dealer, said they had increased their prices by 20
\npercent.<\/p>\n
Some dealers, however, are selling their existing computer
\nstocks at old prices.<\/p>\n
\"We will sell our current stocks at old prices. Afterwards,
\nprices will depend on the rupiah's exchange rate,\" said Hermawi
\nF. Taslim, exhibition manager of Dragon Computer which sells Acer
\nand IBM computers.<\/p>\n
The rupiah has declined by over 20 percent against the U.S.
\ndollar since early January, reaching its lowest level in the last
\nfew weeks due to speculative trading.<\/p>\n
Before the currency crisis, computer prices had been
\ndeclining, making the product affordable to more people, he said.<\/p>\n
The increase, he said, would discourage people to buy.<\/p>\n
Most computer dealers said they would charge the new higher
\nprices at the upcoming Indocomtech 97 which opens Thursday at the
\nJakarta Convention Center.<\/p>\n
They fear they will not reach their sales target.<\/p>\n
They recalled that at two recent exhibitions, including the
\nMega Bazaar Computer 97 at the Jakarta Convention Center, sales
\nwere brisk because dealers were slashing their prices.<\/p>\n
Dealers said they hoped the currency crisis would end soon.
\n(08)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/currency-crisis-hurts-pc-sales-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}