TEMPO.CO, Makassar – Eddy Salim, the chairman of the Indonesia Computer Business Association (Apkomindo) of South Sulawesi chapter, said computer sales in the province this year had plunged compared to last year's.

He said one of the causes was the political atmosphered in 2014, which saw a slew of elections from regional chiefs to lawmakers and president. “Another cause is the large number of smartphone products has eroded the computer market's share,” Eddy told Tempo at the Makassar Computer Expo 2014 on Wednesday, October 29, 2014.

According to Eddy, many computer entrepreneurs in Makassar Trade Center (MTC) are suffering losses—with some switching to smartphone products to survive. “If the government doesn’t help, then MTC can be closed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of Apkomindo of South Sulawesi chapter, Wandy Effendi, said national sales of computer in 2013 reached 4.3 million units. The sales were predicted to drop under four million units this year.

“In South Sulawesi, from January to July, computer shops’ sales decreased by 50 percent,” he said, adding that computer business will be sluggish until 2015 especially if the government increases subsidized fuel prices.

PT Dyandra Promosindo branch manager Mawardha DJ said the declining interest in computers also affected the number of visitors to Makassar Computer Expo this year, which also dipped. “The number decreased slightly this year. In order to gain more visitors, we share with a cooperative agency exhibition,” he said.

MUHAMMAD YUNUS