JAKARTA FAIR WANTS TO COME BACK AS FOLK PROMOTION ARENA

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 14 (Antara) - The 46th Jakarta Fair which was opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the former Kemayoran airport location on Monday, has rapidly developed with large scale firms taking part in the annual business and cultural exposition.          Formally called Djakarta Fair (DF) and held for the first time in the 7 hectare National Monument Square (Monas) on June 5, 1968, the Jakarta Fair (PRJ) was later moved to the 44 hectare former Kemayoran airport in 1992 to facilitate its rapid development.         However, in its rapid development, the Jakarta Fair has become the arena of large companies to exhibit their products while small and medium enterprises (SME) began to be marginalized.          Therefore the regional government is considering returning the function of the PRJ as a place for the SMEs to exhibit their products.  The regional government wants that about 60-70 percent of space at the PRJ should be allocated for SMEs.     "We support the regional government's effort to encourage the SMEs to use 60-70 percent of the PRJ arena," Erwin Aksa, the deputy chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) said on Thursday.          He made the statement in response to the desire of the regional government of Jakarta that the PRJ should allocate 60-70 percent of its arena for small and medium-sized business.