Expo to promote Jordan-made goods 

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) Over 100 local manufacturing companies will take part in an exposition early next month to sell their products directly to the public, the Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) announced on Saturday.

ACI President Hatem Halawani said the show would promote Jordanian-made products in the local market and show consumers the advanced level of quality domestic industries have achieved.

The eight-day expo, organised by ACI, is scheduled to begin on August 2 at Al Hussein Youth City.

Fathi Jaghbeir, president of the Small and Medium Enterprises Association (Jordan SMEs) and an ACI board member, said organisers will launch a media campaign to publicise the event, which will be open from 2:00pm to 6:30pm and from 9:00pm to 1:00am.

Halawani said the expo will feature garments, food products and home appliances, and will be an opportunity for consumers to purchase their needs for Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr as well as school supplies for the fall.

The ACI president expected the event to attract large numbers of visitors, as discounts will be offered to encourage buyers.

Jaghbeir, also a member of the exposition's supervising committee, told The Jordan Times over the phone on Saturday that the products sold directly to consumers at the expo will be 35 per cent cheaper than in the local market.

"It is time to sell Jordanian-made products in the Jordanian market," he said.

Pointing out that Jordanian products are exported to around 120 countries worldwide, the industrialist complained that local manufacturers have all but given up on the domestic market as consumers prefer foreign products, and government tenders usually require that products or services be of foreign origin.

Noting that Jordanian manufacturers export over 70 per cent of their products, Jaghbeir indicated that the ACI had faced some difficulties convincing factories to participate in the exhibition, although it costs them nothing to do so.

The exhibition will be the second event launched by local manufacturers in less than two months to promote their industries in the Kingdom.

Late June, the ACI and Jordan SMEs organised a forum and exhibition for national industries that was attended by Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh and a large number of officials and private sector representatives.