Pawn shop sells Rp 1.7b jewelries

JAKARTA: Last year, Senen Pawn Gallery in Central Jakarta sold seized jewelries worth a total of Rp 1.7 billion (US$191,000), a 90 percent jump in selling compared to Rp 900 million in 2001, an official said on Friday.

Besides the jewelries, which were confiscated after the owners failed to bail them out of the pawn service, the Gallery also sold gold coins. Head of the Gallery, Amalia Komalasari, said, the selling of gold coins in 2002 plunged by 48 percent to Rp 625 million from Rp 1.25 billion in last year, Antara reported.

"We forecast the selling (of both jewelries and gold coins) will not be that good in 2003 due to the hike of public facilities tariffs, such as fuel, phone bills, and electricity," Amalia told reporters as quoted by Antara. -- JP