"Some 13 SMEs will showcase their products at the Indonesian Pavilion located in Nusa Dua, Bali," Director General of Small and Medium Industries of the Ministry of Industry Gati Wibawaningsih stated here, Wednesday.
According to Wibawaningsih, the SMEs, coached by the Ministry of Industry, will display various typical Indonesian crafts that are suitable as souvenirs.
"Bali is synonymous with culture, and one thing closest to culture is crafts. Hence, we chose crafts to be displayed at this event," she noted.
In addition, the SMEs will display batik to attract more visitors.
Wibawaningsih emphasized that the IMF-WB meeting was an opportunity for SMEs to showcase their superior products.
The Ministry of Industry has set no sales targets, as the main aim of holding the craft exhibition is to promote the best Indonesian products.
"We have no sales targets. The important aspect is that foreign guests know that Indonesia can produce various items, especially crafts. Our target is to introduce Indonesian products to the world," Wibawaningsih remarked.
The IMF-WB Annual Meetings is one of the largest and influential events on finance and economy, where it brings together Central Bank governors and finance ministers from 189 countries along with prominent persons from private sectors, academics, non-governmental organizations, and the media.
In total, there will be approximately 18 thousand participants. Some side events to be featured in the meeting are seminars, investment forums, focus group discussions, workshops, and Indonesian cultural and art performances, Pavilion Indonesia, Cultural Terrace Indonesia, as well as Indonesian food festival.
A parallel event of I La Galigo will also be held. It is a contemporary rendition from the Traditional Epic of Sureq Galigo, an epic poem of the Bugis people of South Sulawesi, which is longer than the Mahabharata from India and comparable to the adventures of Ulysses in Homer`s Odyssey from Greece.
Data obtained from Bappenas, the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning, showed that spending by the IMF-WB Annual Meetings delegates is estimated to reach Rp93.5 billion (some US$63.7 million) of which 95.2 percent of the participants are foreign tourists.
Reporting by Sella Panduarsa Gareta
Editing by Libertina W.Ambari
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Yosep Hariyadi
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