Try opens Jakarta Fair, stressing its importance

JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Try Sutrisno underlined yesterday the importance of making this year's Jakarta Fair a means to evaluate whether Indonesia is ready for free trade, which is scheduled to start in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2003.

Speaking at the opening of Jakarta Fair '97 in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, Try said it would also be important to gauge the effectiveness of the event in promoting Indonesian businesses.

"We have to produce quality products to enable us to face free trade. But quality products do not mean anything if producers are unable to market them," he said.

Try said people must become more aware of the importance of marketing in promoting the country's products.

Delivering customer satisfaction was particularly significant, he said, urging all the companies participating in the fair to give the best possible service to all their customers.

The highlight of the extravagant opening ceremony was the performance of 300 colorful dancers performing a magnificent and mesmerizing Acehnese dance.

High-ranking guests at the opening included Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso, ambassadors and delegations from several neighboring countries.

A group of 30 people from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nigeria were among the honorary guests. They said they were astonished by the ceremony.

The ceremony also attracted more than 1,000 members of the general public.

The colorfully decorated showrooms on either side of the fairground's main boulevard included the latest built-up, four- wheel drive cars, sedans and motorcycles.

Smiling attendants in colorful and chic outfits were ready to serve all the curious visitors. Some stands also offered snacks and beverages temptingly packaged in a variety of designs.

Surjadi said 18,000 people were working at the fair. He said he expected it to especially help and encourage small businesses.

The chairman of the Jakarta International Trade Fair, Soekardjo Hardjosoewirjo, said around 2,600 exhibitors were participating in the event, including 1,234 large-scale domestic and foreign companies.

Soekardjo said the one-month extravaganza was expected to attract 2.5 million visitors and generate US$50 million worth of business.

Entrance tickets cost Rp 2,000 (81 US cents) and people over 60 can enter for free.

Soekardjo also said the municipality was providing 520 public transport vehicles, plying 29 routes, to take people to the fairground.

The fair's daily entertainment and games will include a one- hour evening carnival, rock and jazz performances and in-line skating and skateboarding displays. Thirty thousand Chinese lanterns depicting dinosaurs, the national monument and the Al Azhar mosque, will be exhibited from June 21.

Other attractions include Brazilians performing their sensual Samba Dance from July 9 to July 13, between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. and a percussion concert from July 7 for three days from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on the main stage.

This, the 30th fair, is being held in conjunction with Jakarta's 470th birthday. The Jakarta International Trade Corp has invested Rp 11 billion in the event. (10)