Kemang Duty Free responds

Kemang Duty Free responds

Kemang Duty Free would like to take this opportunity to thank and respond to James Richards (Duty Free Shop, March 5) and Melody Kemp's (Outrageous prices, March 2) comments in The Jakarta Post.

Even though a new regulation on importation for down-town Duty Free shops has been imposed since late 1993, we have only begun to see the effects of it since last year. This "new regulation" requires imports to go through four different companies before reaching Kemang Duty Free, which actually comes down to a 30 percent to 40 percent increase in the price we have to pay.

Consequently, to absorb this increase, Kemang Duty Free has reduced its margin, just to be able to have the goods in the store for our customers (whereas other down-town Duty Free stores are unable or unwilling to do this). However, naturally, the price increase can still be evidently felt by customers.

Circulars (which contain more or less about the above information) issued by Kemang Duty Free, are merely aimed to give a better understanding of the situation to customers and did not, in any way, mean to show disrespect or disregard to our customers' patronage.

We are trying our best to be able to overcome these problems. Hopefully, within a short period of time we can provide our valued customers with more US$6 to $9 wines again.

The management

Kemang Duty Free