Jakarta Fair to be opened twice by President and VP
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
For the first time ever, the 2002 Jakarta Fair will be opened twice in two separate ceremonies by Vice President Hamzah Haz and President Megawati Soekarnoputri respectively.
Hamzah is scheduled to inaugurate the month-long event on Friday afternoon at the "soft opening" while Megawati will inaugurate the event on June 26 at the "grand opening".
"Ibu Mega had been scheduled to inaugurate the fair on Friday but the plan had to be postponed because she is on state trip to Europe," said Jakarta Fair spokesman Thoman Hutasoit, referring to Megawati's two-week trip to Italy, England, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The president has always opened the annual event while the vice president has always closed it. But last year, Megawati, in her capacity as vice president, opened the annual fair, replacing then president Abdurrahman Wahid who could not attend.
With two openings, Hutasoit was unsure who would close the event, which is staged to commemorate Jakarta's 475th anniversary on July 14.
Noted artist Guruh Soekarnoputra, Megawati's youngest brother, is the chairman of this year's organizing committee.
His dance company GSP will perform some of his choreographies during the fair, which will not only feature business and trade exhibitions but also cultural and art performances.
Some 1,600 participants are taking part in the Rp 20 billion (US$2.3 million) fair at the Kemayoran Fairground, Central Jakarta.
The event is being jointly staged by the Jakarta International Trade Fair (JITF), partly owned by businessman Edward Soerjadjaja, and the city administration.
Shuttle buses will make stops at star-rated hotels along Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin on their way to the venue to net more visitors. Two million people are expected to visit the fair, generating Rp 200 billion in transactions.
Last year, some 1.6 million people visited the fair while transactions totaled Rp 173 billion.
This year's location for the fair is larger, expanded from 66,000-square-meters to 77,000-square-meters with the addition of Pasar Gambir. Pasar Gambir will host entertainment shows, art and sports events, children's competitions and seminars.
The Jakarta Fair was staged for the first time in 1969 at the National Monument (Monas) Park in Central Jakarta. In 1992, the event was moved to the former Kemayoran airport.
The fair will be opened to the public from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends, except for Pasar Gambir which will stay open until 1 a.m. every day.
Entrance to the fairground is Rp 6,000 on weekdays and Rp 7,500 on weekends.