Bali acts as a market center for remote regencies

Bali acts as a market center for remote regencies

Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

"Where is Toli-Toli?" asked a visitor to the Indonesia Autonomy
Expo 2002 held here last weekend, referring to the remote regency
in Central Sulawesi.

When he visited the regency's booth at the exhibition, he was
amazed by its diverse natural resources, which are virtually
unknown outside of Sulawesi.

At the exhibition, Toli-Toli displayed a number of beautiful
handicraft items, like model ships crafted from dry cloves, cacao
beans, coffee beans and wood. The ships were priced lower than
similar items found in shops in Bali.

Other regencies, like Sumba in East Nusa Tenggara, displayed
samples of its rich and rare double woven cloth at the
exhibition, while Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara delighted
visitors with pearl jewelry and beautiful textiles.

At the special exhibition, visitors were able to get a glimpse
of Indonesia's 102 regencies and numerous items rarely seen in
Bali.

The four-day expo, which ended on Oct. 6, was held at the Bali
International Convention Center (BICC) in Nusa Dua, Badung
regency. It brought together government bureaucrats, the private
sector, artisans and, more importantly, investors and prospective
buyers.

Badung Regent A.A. Ngurah Oka Ratmadi said he was happy to be
able to host the expo, where participants from around the country
were able to talk and share their experiences.

Badung is one of eight regencies in Bali. It is the island's
richest regency, including the famed tourist centers of Kuta and
Nusa Dua.

Marten Waibusi, head of the Nabire regency delegation from
Papua, agreed that the expo helped open the minds of the
regency's businesspeople and artisans.

"The expo is a perfect place for us to see products from other
regencies, and learn how they develop and market them," he said,
adding that Nabire, being so far removed, rarely had contact with
other regencies in Indonesia.

The chairman of the expo's organizing committee, Hariman T.
Zagloel, explained that the event, the second of its kind, was
primarily aimed at providing a forum for regencies in Indonesia
to promote their various potentials.

"They have to realize that they can no longer rely on the
central government to promote their areas," Hariman said.

He admitted there was still a large gap between the country's
rich and poor regencies, or the well-prepared and unprepared
ones.

Regencies like Kutai Kartanagara in East Kalimantan,
Batul and Sleman in Yogyakarta, Surakarta in Central Java, and
Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan in Bali were prepared to show off
their potentials and to inform visitors about all the development
activities in their areas.

This year's expo focused on economic potential, building
regional networks and sharing information. Last year's expo was
held in Jakarta, but Hariman said he expected that next year the
expo would again be held in Bali.

"Bali, for instance, could become a market and information
center because local and overseas buyers frequently come to the
island to place bulk orders," Hariman said.

He added that Kediri and other regencies could share
information with their counterparts in Bali on how to penetrate
overseas markets.

Every regency theoretically has the economic potential to
generate millions of dollars in revenue. But a lack of knowledge,
marketing skills, information and facilities often prevent
regencies from fulfilling this potential.

For example, Hariman said, not every regency realizes the
importance of promotion. "You cannot just produce items. You have
to display and sell them to the right buyers. Expos and other
trade gatherings are only tools for regencies to reach an
audience."

As a result of this lack of knowledge about the importance of
promotion, many regencies came to Bali without any preparation.

If a regency wants to participate in an expo, here or abroad,
they should register months prior to the event, he said. "Early
registration will enable buyers around the world to notice your
products and promotion. (You should register) at least three
months in advance."

He added that many regencies at the expo only registered
several days prior to the event. "How can buyers and investors
have any idea about their potential?" he asked.

But these tardy participants should not be too disheartened.
Together with Global Sources, the organizing committee gave expo
participants access to cross-border trade by registering their
products with Global Sources's online system.

Global Sources (GS) Indonesia will help local suppliers reach
worldwide buyers by providing the right information, at the right
time and in the correct format.

Hasan Shahab, GS's general manager for marketing, said for
this expo his company had set up a special website to allow
participants to promote their products from Aug. 15 until the end
of this month.

"We have been quite successful in netting potential buyers
through virtual displays. So far about 200 buyers worldwide have
proposed 919 inquiries," he said, adding that about 50 buyers had
already traveled to Bali to meet with suppliers.

Simon Ys. Ratanna, chief of the delegation from Donggala
regency, Central Sulawesi, said he regretted that his regency had
fallen behind in information technology.

"I hope that by taking part in the expo we are able to provide
as much information as possible," Simon said, adding that his
office was as yet not online.

Bantul regency in Central Java and Pamekasan regency in Madura
are among the better prepared regencies.

"The regent of Bantul registered 18 small-scale handicraft
producers with Global Sources and the results have been amazing,"
Hasan said, adding that Bantul's artisans were now exporting
dozens of containers of handicrafts to several overseas
destinations.