Stores are not giving special discounts to APEC delegates

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta's large-scale shopping centers are not providing special offers or any discounts to greet delegates of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum despite requests by the head of the city tourism office.

Representatives of most department stores contacted by The Jakarta Post yesterday said they are not preparing special discounts for the APEC forum because they have already planned such promotional activities for annual occasions, such as Christmas and Idul Fitri.

"Right now most stores in our mall are giving special pre- Christmas discounts, from October until mid December," said Yulianti Said, public relation officer of Citra Land Mall in West Jakarta.

She explained the discounts they offer usually range from 20 to 50 percent. The discounts are offered in that period of time because they intend to clear up their stocks by the end of the year.

Fauzi Bowo, head of the city tourism office, yesterday urged owners of big shopping centers, hotels and restaurants to take the greatest advantages from the APEC forum by giving special offers or discounts.

The provision of special discounts is expected to help APEC delegates feel more comfortable during their stay in the country, he said.

"Right now only restaurants which are participating in the Jakarta Food Festival give special rates," Fauzi said, adding that the festival's aim is to select the best restaurant in the city. The festival is being held between Sept. 25 and Nov. 30, and has 31 selected restaurants participating.

Julfan, a staff member of the city tourism office, said stores all over the world have the tradition of giving discounts in October, November and December every year.

"The stores in Jakarta will unlikely give discounts just because of APEC, even though most of them have lowered their prices right now," Julfan said.

Pasaraya Sarinah Jaya department store in Blok M, South Jakarta, does not offer special discounts or prices for APEC delegates.

Luncheon

The only program held by Pasaraya in connection with the APEC forum is the hosting of a luncheon, in the store building, for wives of the trade ministers of the APEC countries, said Harun Kuswardhono, a director of the department store.

"After the luncheon, the ministers' wives are expected shop at the store, especially the Indonesian handicrafts corner, which offers the largest amount of handicrafts with Indonesian characteristics in the city," he said, adding that his store had offered special discounts just last month.

Harun said that based on the experience of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1992, when many heads of states and their delegates came to Jakarta, there will also be a lot of visitors going to his store.

"Yes, I expect sales will go up because of the event, despite the absence of special offers," he said.

The Indonesian handicraft center at the well-known Sogo department store in Plaza Indonesia shopping mall, next to Grand Hyatt hotel at Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, is currently providing discount vouchers, an executive of the center said.

"We give discount vouchers of between Rp 25,000 (US$11.9) and Rp 550,000 to certain customers," said Paul Santoso, chief of the center.

However, he insisted that the vouchers are not given because of the forum.

The vouchers are given under a membership basis and are sent mostly to the center's regular customers, he said.

He explained that the management has distributed the vouchers to embassies, foreign companies and hotels throughout the city. (yns)