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everal small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are participating in the first Jakarta Folk Fair at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta with high hopes of netting a profit at the event, which charges no entry fees to either the public or participants.

Sanem, a 47-year-old Betawi traditional omelette (kerak telor) seller, said on Wednesday that she expected to book a larger profit at the six-day Monas fair than the Rp 10 million (US$847.76) she made during last year'€™s 30-day Jakarta Fair, or Pekan Raya Jakarta (PRJ), which was held in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

A total of 2,780 SMEs and 91 large companies are taking part in the Jakarta Folk Fair at Monas, which will last until Sunday.

Sanem said that even though she could sell for a far longer period of time at the Kemayoran fair last year, her net profit was limited because she had to pay a hefty participation fee to the management, and most of the visitors were middle to upper class since the entrance fee was Rp 20,000 per person on weekdays and Rp 30,000 on weekends.

Kerak telor, which Sanem is selling at the Monas fair for Rp 10,000 per portion for those cooked with chicken eggs or Rp 15,000 with duck eggs, is generally purchased by low-income visitors.

'€œWe hope that acting Jakarta governor Basuki '€˜Ahok'€™ Tjahaja Purnama will make the six-day Monas fair an annual event, and hold it along with the 30-day PRJ in Kemayoran,'€ Sanem said.

She also said she would rather participate in the Monas fair than the Kemayoran fair, where she had to pay Rp 250,000 a day just for a permit to sell kerak telor outside the fairground.

Wati, a seller of another Betawi traditional dish, selendang mayang (dessert made from rice flour and palm sugar), said that she had never participated in the PRJ Kemayoran because the costs would have outweighed her revenue.

'€œAs a low-income vendor, participating in the PRJ Kemayoran is too risky for me,'€ said the 35-year-old, who is selling selendang mayang for Rp 5,000 per cup at the PRJ Monas.

Wenny, a 41-year-old clothes dealer from Lampung, said that she sold her goods at affordable prices, ranging from Rp 35,000 to Rp 200,000 per piece. Although the fasting month had yet to come, she anticipated that people across the city would flock to Monas to shop for dresses at her booth.

'€œI sell this handmade woman'€™s dress for only Rp 200,000. When participating in an exhibition in Egypt last year, I sold such a dress for Rp 500,000,'€ she said.

Besides business entities, the PRJ Monas is also hosting vocational senior high school (SMK) students from across the city to exhibit and sell their products to visitors.

 SMK 22 Jakarta in Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta, is selling a modified telephone equipped with a touch-screen monitor to allow for video calls.

'€œWe are charging Rp 4 million for each telephone unit,'€ student Fatir Alif said. '€œSMK students have created these sophisticated gadgets especially to show our ability to those who underestimate us.'€

SMK 24 from Cipayung, East Jakarta, is selling various handmade accessories such as sandals and bags.

Rama, a visitor from Menteng, Central Jakarta, said that he really enjoyed the PRJ Monas because he did not need to pay an entrance fee. (alz)