Retailers plan big 'Independence' sales

JAKARTA (JP): Attention shoppers. What is being billed as one of the biggest sales ever held in Indonesia will happen Aug. 5.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), the event organizer, guarantees that it will be a genuine sale.

"This is not one of those sales in which the shops get rid of old stock," Adi Putra Tahir, a senior Kadin executive promised yesterday.

The event is being held to celebrate 50 years of Indonesian independence.

The Indonesian Association of Distributors, the Indonesian Shopping Center Association and the Association of Indonesian Retail Business, all member organizations of Kadin, are supporting the event christened the "people's market".

They said some members will slash prices by 10 to 20 percent, while others will offer an even bigger percentage.

Army veterans and retired servicemen will be given even greater discounts at certain department stores.

Adi said retailers who are not members of Kadin will be encouraged to join.

By yesterday at least 17 provinces agreed to hold the sales. More are expected to commit before the day. In some areas, the bazaar will be held for two days or more.

"This is our way of showing gratitude for independence, and for the stable years that have enabled us to conduct business so far," Adi said.

Emil Salim, the executive chairman of the National Committee for the 50th Independence Anniversary, lent his support by showing up at the press conference.

He said he agreed with the Aug. 5 date because it falls shortly after most people have received their monthly pay packet.

The sale is purely the business community's initiative and is therefore being funded by business people, Emil responded when asked if government funds were involved.

Emil's committee has been allocated a budget of Rp 3.5 billion ($1.6 million) by the government.

"This money is to be used only for events organized by the government," he said. "It would be quite out of place to ask moguls to pay for our independence anniversary."

Asked whether he thought that the money set aside was extravagant, Emil responded, "The question is valid. But this is a celebration which is held only once in 50 years."

"We tackle problems like poverty and bad roads every year, but part of our expression of gratitude is to get the people involved in some fun activities," he said. (anr)