Low profits upset foreigners at Jakarta Fair

JAKARTA (JP): Foreign participants at the Jakarta Fair have said that they have not gained enough daily profit because people visiting the fair just look around.

The participants include people from Egypt, Jordan, Iran and Pakistan. Each of them have been displaying a variety of products.

From Egypt there are a variety of hand-made perfume bottles, especially made for nonalcoholic perfumes.

"The colors and patterns of the bottles would be damaged if you fill them with alcoholic substances." Ebrahim Bayoumi, a shop owner, said.

He also sells papyrus papers with unique Egyptian drawings and hieroglyphics.

Bayoumi also said the fair was too long and was not opened at the right time.

"When people come to my shop, they only look around because they say they don't have any money," he said.

Bayoumi also said the fair should only last a maximum two weeks.

"When a fair lasts too long, people get bored and stop buying," he said.

He also said that his profit each day ranged between US$40 to $50, but he has to pay for a hotel room, which costs more than $50 a night, and the salary of two employees on weekends.

Participants from Iran opened a large exhibition in Hall A and Hall B. They have been selling mostly carpets, crystal lamps, gem stones and silverware.

Their participation was organized by the Export Division of the Ministry of Commerce of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Ten companies are participating at their pavilion, but most of them said that they have not profited as much as they had expected.

Hussain Zadeh, a carpet businessman, said that in an international trade fair in Japan in 1990, he profited well.

"Our carpets sold out at the Organization of Islamic Conference four months ago in Islamabad, Pakistan, and we even had backorders, because we did not bring enough goods," he said.

But Zadeh also said that the Jakarta Fair was not an international fair. "There are no foreign buyers here, only Indonesians."

He also said that most Indonesians do not really appreciate Iranian products, such as carpets.

Zadeh said that some of the carpets were handmade. "That's why they cost thousands of dollars. They only want cheap products," he said.

Most of overseas products displayed did not attract many visitors. A man, who came with his wife, said that the products were similar to Indonesian ones.

"Why should I buy these things, when I can get them here (in Indonesia) at a lower price. We have all kinds of carpets and souvenirs available at the provincial administration's halls," he said.

He also said that he was only looking around and did not intend to buy anything.

"Unless I find cheap and good electronic products, I'm not buying anything," he said.

The fair is open everyday until July 14, on weekdays from 3 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on weekends from 10 a.m to 11 p.m. (12)