Two more companies join KualiVa discount scheme

ONBOARD AWANI DREAM 2 (JP): A leading telephone distributor and a major jewelry retailer have become the 14th and 15th companies to join the KualiVa discount savings scheme for shoppers.

PT Erindo Utama, the sole agent and supplier for Ericsson telecommunication equipment, and PT Gold Martindo, which operates 58 outlets in Indonesia, formally joined the scheme during a cruise Saturday between Jakarta and Lampung.

Their KualiVa membership agreements were signed on the ship by the scheme's eight executive council members, led by Hari Darmawan of PT Matahari Putra Prima, and representatives of the two companies.

Other members of the scheme are PT Bank Bali; PT Matahari Putra Prima, a department store chain; PT Gramedia Asri, a bookstore chain; the airline PT Sempati Air; PT Modern Putra Indonesia, a photography company; PT Hero Supermarket, a supermarket chain; Accor Asia Pacific Indonesia, a hotel chain; telecommunications company PT Satelit Palapa Indonesia; PT Meganusa Lintas Buana, an Internet provider; PT Grita Artha Kreamindo, a franchisee of French laundry company 5 a'Sec; and three paging services companies PT Skytelindo Services, PT Persada Komindo and PT Raya Pertiwi Semesta.

KualiVa was founded in August 1995 by six companies to promote products and services by offering discounts in the form of points -- each worth Rp 1 -- which can be accumulated by buying products or services at any of the members' outlets.

Bank Bali vice president Budi G. Sadikin said the 750,000 KualiVa card holders had made Rp 7 billion worth of transactions since the scheme had started.

KualiVa aimed to raise this to a million card holders with total transactions of Rp 100 billion by the end of this year, Bank Bali president Rudy Ramli said earlier.

PT Erindo Utama's total revenue had reached US$350 million last year, said the firm's director Susanto Sosilo.

PT Gold Martina's outlets in Indonesia are under three different banners: Gold Mart, Prima Gold and Gold Gaya.

Also Saturday, Hari Darmawan donated Rp 175 million worth of goods and services to the SMU Taman Taruna Nusantara elite senior high school in Magelang, Central Java, which is supported by the Armed Forces. The donations include a computer laboratory worth Rp 125 million and a study tour for 10 students to Ericsson's research and development department in Sweden.

Kualiva, which has pledged to set aside 0.25 percent of every transaction made using its cards for community donations. The scheme has already collected Rp 375 million for charity. (bsr)