Jakarta Fair better arranged but expensive

Jakarta Fair better arranged but expensive

Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Abdurrahman and his family have been going to the Jakarta Fair
since it was still held at the National Monument (Monas) park in
the early 1980s.

"I actually took my wife on a date there and now we are
happily married with three children," said the resident of
Karawaci in Tangerang, Banten.

Abdurrahman said that he noticed many changes in the Jakarta
Fair over the years. "Compared to how it was, the Jakarta Fair
2003 is much cleaner and everything is much better arranged," he
added.

However, he said that he still had fond memories of how the
event was in the past as it used to be cheaper so that he could
enjoy a lot more of the colorful art performances being
presented.

"But it seems to me now that this year's fair is only
emphasizing selling and marketing rather than maintaining what is
supposed to be a fiesta for the people," Abdurrahman said.

The better organization of the Jakarta Fair, which is being
held at the Jakarta Fairground in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta,
should be accompanied by affordable prices.

Yet many people, particularly lower- and middle-income
earners, complain about the hefty prices that they have to pay to
visit the Jakarta Fair.

The organizer of the fair, PT Jakarta International Trade Fair
(JITF), has said that this year's event is expected to generate
some Rp 200 billion (US$22.5 million) in business revenues for
some 950 participants, with some two million visitors being
targeted.

Complaints have also been voiced by a number of participants
as they have had to pay hefty rents for promotional stands at the
fair.

"I pay Rp 9 million for this small stand," said Hendrik, who
sells clothes in an area measuring nine square meters.

The most expensive rents are Rp 50 million for the 42-square-
meter stands.

"The rents are too expensive and, therefore, I have no other
options but to raise the prices of the items sold at my stand,"
Hendrik said.

Megawati's brother, Guruh Soekarnoputra, who chairs the
Jakarta Fair 2003 organizing committee, said in a press statement
issued during the opening ceremony that the fair should in fact
be a fiesta for the people.

However, many still feel that the fair's mission as stated in
its slogan, dari kite, oleh kite dan untuk kite (from us, by us
and for us), has been forgotten.

"It's pretty obvious that the organizers are targeting the
market, and I am actually quite impressed by the layout of the
fair. But, I feel we, the people, are being marginalized," said
Abdurrahman.

"For me, the Jakarta Fair has always been about traditional
art performances with cheap food and products that should be
affordable to everyone," he added.

However unlike the critics, Nani who works in a law firm in
Jakarta, praised the better organization of this year's event,
saying it could boost the image of the Jakarta Fair.

"I never wanted to come here before as the Jakarta Fair was
known for being filthy and the pickpockets. But after I read in
the media about the Chinese Lantern Festival, I decided to visit
here and I was impressed. I think the organizers are doing a
great job," she said after visiting the fair.

The one-month Jakarta Fair, which was opened by President
Megawati, runs until July 13 from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays
and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends.