Business deals at fair reach Rp 149.1 billion

JAKARTA (JP): Value of business transactions at the one-month Jakarta Fair in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, as of Wednesday, reached Rp 149.1 billion (US$60.85 million), an official said yesterday.

Rudy Hendra, deputy general manager of the Jakarta International Trade Center and in charge of organizing the fair, said that Rp 148.37 billion was transacted by domestic businesses and the remaining Rp 734.47 million by foreign participants.

The annual fair, which ends Sunday, has 1,435 exhibitors, including 600 large companies. International fair participants include those from Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Pakistan, Korea, Japan, India, Germany, Iran and China.

Susilo said property exhibitors posted the highest amount in transactions, reaching Rp 75 billion, followed by vehicles and their accessories with Rp 41.67 billion.

"Other major transactions concluded were by exhibitors offering electronics, with Rp 5.89 billion in transactions, followed by garments with Rp 3.78 billion and furniture with Rp 2.82 billion," he said.

He said of Rp 734.47 million in transactions made by foreign exhibitors, Rp 478.94 million was by those offering household utensils, Rp 33.56 million by those offering factory tools and the remaining Rp 221.96 million in miscellaneous products.

He said the fair attracted over 2.16 million visitors as of Wednesday, slightly below the target of 2.5 million.

The current fair was claimed by organizers to be quite different from earlier fairs because exhibitors displayed more high-quality products.

Fair exhibition rooms and open space are divided into sections for different kinds of products -- Hall A for high-tech products, Hall C for local exhibitors from the nation's 27 provinces, Trade Center's 1st floor for luxury cars and cafes, Open Space 1 for residential exhibitions, Convention Hall's 6th floor for jazz music performances and Open Space 5 for games and entertainment.

To attract Jakartans to the fair, the committee created a better environment by increasing public facilities such as ticket booths, restrooms, waste baskets, guards and parking space, in addition to various entertainment attractions and amusement centers.

The remaining attractions at the fair include a street festival in the form of a Samba dance from Brazil, which was held last night and will be repeated this evening, and rock festivals on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. (hhr)