Industrial fair begins tomorrow

JAKARTA (JP): Sixty-eight companies from China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea will take part in the sixth five-day Jakarta Industrial Fair, scheduled to open tomorrow at the Jakarta Fairgrounds.

Soekardjo Hardjosoewiryo, president of the PT Jakarta International Trade Fair Corporation, told reporters here yesterday that the fair will feature developments in the rubber, plastic and machine tool industries.

China is the biggest participating country with 54 companies, including China Machine Building International Corp., China National Machinery I/E Corp., Machinery Sub-council, China National Metals & Minerals I/E Corp., Beijing Int'l Business Consultant & Service Center and China National Light Industry Machinery Group.

Indonesia will be represented by PT Indojalu Perkasa, PT Kawasan Industri Jababeka and PT Mitra Presisi Mesindo.

The items to be exhibited include machine tools, punching, shearing and boring machines, machinery for processing plastics, woodworking machinery, machinery for making nails, beer bottles and spring mattresses, as well as agricultural and other vehicles.

Soekardjo refused to estimate the value of transactions during the exhibition. According to the organizing company, transactions declined from $24 million at the first fair in 1991 to $18 million in 1992 and to $16 million in 1993 before increasing to $20 million in 1994 and to $21 million in 1995.

"We target 4,000 visitors this year," said the exhibition's manager, Jean S.M.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo is scheduled to open the event tomorrow morning.

Kwangju Governor Song Eon-jong of South Korea in also expected to attend. (jsk)