Jakarta Fair aims for 2.5m visitors

JAKARTA: The Jakarta Fair organizers said on Tuesday that they hoped to attract 2.5 million visitors to the fair this year.

Chairperson Siti Hartati Murdaya told President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during a meeting that the organizers were also aiming at securing Rp 389 billion in transactions.

Total transaction value at last year's event was Rp 300 billion, while total visitor numbers stood at 2.3 million, many of whom were potential buyers, she said.

The annual fair is part of series of events being held to celebrate Jakarta's official 478th anniversary, which falls on June 22. The month- long event will be held from June 16 to July 17 at the Jakarta Fairground in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

Governor Sutiyoso, who accompanied Siti Hartati, said that this year's fair would also be participated in by a number of foreign companies. "Of the 380 companies that have applied to participate, some of them are foreign companies."

Quoting Susilo, the governor told reporters that the President had asked his ministers to visit the fair.

"The President said that he would encourage his ministers to visit the Jakarta Fair and spend their money there," he said.--JP