Agung urges transparency in SEA Games sticker sales<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs Agung
\nLaksono urged the 19th SEA Games (SEAG) underwriting consortium
\nMonday to immediately settle its debts and to be more transparent
\nover its Rp 64 billion deficit.<\/p>\n
Agung said after meeting with the consortium's business and
\nfund deputy Enggartiasto Lukita and member Oki Tjandrawinata that
\nin its audited report, the consortium said that it had accrued
\nfinancial losses from budget overruns, while sticker sale
\nrevenues failed to reach a targeted Rp 35 billion.<\/p>\n
Agung refused to unveil how much the consortium had raised
\nfrom sticker sales from July 1996 to Dec. 31 last year.<\/p>\n
The stickers, imposed on telephone, water and electricity
\nusers, airplane passengers and car owners, were sold under a
\nministerial decree issued by then minister of social services
\nEndang Kusuma Inten Soeweno.<\/p>\n
\"I have just received the audited report and have only taken a
\nglance at it,\" Agung said.<\/p>\n
Enggartiasto was tightlipped after the meeting.<\/p>\n
The consortium's executive director, Bambang Yoga Soegama,
\nsaid in February that as of that month the organization had
\ncollected Rp 20.55 billion. He predicted revenues from the sales
\nwould increase.<\/p>\n
Agung said Monday that the consortium, chaired by President
\nSoeharto's son Bambang Trihatmodjo, had budgeted Rp 105 billion
\n(US$42 million at the old rate of Rp 2,500) to stage the Games
\nhere, but that the costs had totaled Rp 156 billion.<\/p>\n
\"The consortium covered the deficit from bank loans because
\nthe Games had to take place anyway. It now must pay the debts
\nwhile waiting for sticker sale revenues,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He would not disclose which bank had extended credits to the
\nconsortium.<\/p>\n
He said he would discuss the report with National Sports
\nCouncil (KONI) top officials before presenting it to Minister of
\nSocial Services Siti Hardijanti Rukmana.<\/p>\n
Agung also suggested that the consortium publicly disclose
\ninformation regarding the accountability report.<\/p>\n
\"It collected the public's money, so I hope they (the
\nconsortium) can settle their internal matters immediately and
\nreport it to the public as well,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the public could file lawsuits against the consortium
\nif irregularities were found in the report audited by public
\naccountant KPMG Hanadi Soejendro & friends.<\/p>\n
\"Legal procedures are worth seeking if the public finds
\nsomething wrong in the report, but please be proportional. Never
\ndeliberately exaggerate a small mistake,\" Agung said. \"The
\nconsortium has helped the country organize an important sporting
\nevent.\" (emf)<\/p>",
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