Govt urged to cut expo permit red tape<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Indonesian Convention and
\nExhibition Organizers urged the government yesterday to simplify
\nlicensing procedures in the exhibition and convention business.<\/p>\n
The association's chairman, Dwi Karsono, said exhibition and
\nconvention organizers should be required to get a permit only
\nfrom the Ministry of Trade and Industry, instead of several from
\nother government agencies as it the requirement now.<\/p>\n
\"Unless we display imported items which would need to be
\nauthorized by other agencies, we should have been able to conduct
\nan exhibition without having to go through the red tape,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Exhibition organizers have to get permits from government
\nagencies including the Ministry of Tourism, Post and
\nTelecommunications, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the
\ncity administration and the police before holding an exhibition
\nor convention.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the sideline of the association's first annual
\nmeeting, Dwi also called on the government to treat its members
\nequally.<\/p>\n
There was a practice of people in senior bureaucrats urging
\ntheir subordinates to stop issuing permits to other organizers to
\nsupport exhibitions related to their agencies, he said.<\/p>\n
For example, if a government-supported company was conducting
\na furniture exhibition, which was not drawing many participants,
\nno other furniture exhibitions would be allowed during the four
\nmonths before and the two months after the exhibition, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The practice of protecting certain companies is not only
\nunfair and unprofessional, but also causes losses to both the
\nrelated businesses and the exhibition organizers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The conduct also created idleness in the exhibition industry,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The association has 117 members, 96 percent of which are
\nlocal, Dwi said.<\/p>\n
Last year, 97 product exhibitions were held in Indonesia. Dwi
\nestimated there would be 131 events this year.<\/p>\n
The Director General of Tourism, Andi Mappi Sammeng, said
\nconventions and exhibitions had attracted many foreign visitors.<\/p>\n
Last year, about 20 percent of the five million foreigners who
\nvisited Indonesia were here on business and convention trips,
\nAndi said.<\/p>\n
\"The number is expected to increase by 10 percent this year,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He said his office was encouraging the association's members
\nto organize international conventions all across Indonesia to
\nsupport tourism.<\/p>\n
\"Visitors for business conventions normally spend about two
\nand a half times more than regular tourists because they usually
\nhave more money,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The visitors normally stayed between five and seven days spent
\nan average of US$3,000 during their stay, while regular tourists
\nwould only spend between $1,000 and $1,200 for a five-day stay,
\nhe said. (02)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-urged-to-cut-expo-permit-red-tape-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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