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