Consumer group gives partial nod to lottery<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Consumers Foundation gave a
\nqualified endorsement yesterday to a planned lottery to collect
\nfunds for sports development.<\/p>\n
Chairwoman Tini Hadad, speaking after a hearing with officials
\nNational Sports Council, said the foundation principally accepted
\nthe proposal but demanded a guarantee the fund-raising program
\nwould not burden the public.<\/p>\n
\"We agree to the ideas that the fund-raising program shall run
\nunder a voluntary basis, apply transparent management, not
\nencourage people to gamble, and not involve state-owned companies
\nlike PT PLN, PT Telkom, PT PAM and city revenues agencies,\" Tini
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Involvement of the companies would inevitably lead to the
\ncompulsory schemes of the past, according to Tini.<\/p>\n
\"We demand the guarantee because fund-raising programs to
\nfinance certain sports events in the past have tainted the sports
\ncouncil's image.\"<\/p>\n
Last month, the council introduced the lottery proposal,
\ncalled Sports Awareness Campaign, with the aim to amass Rp 100
\nbillion (US$7 million) a year from coupon sales.<\/p>\n
The coupons, to be sold in 15,000 branches of state bank BRI
\nfor Rp 5,000 each, offer cash prizes ranging from Rp 5,000 to Rp
\n100 million. A buyer is entitled to a prize if a coupon contains
\nthree identical sports logos.<\/p>\n
A coupon will also serve as a ticket to attend one sports game
\n-- except for semifinals and finals -- sanctioned by the sports
\ncouncil. It is valid for one year.<\/p>\n
According to the proposal, half of the funds collected will be
\ndisbursed for payment of prizes. Only 30 percent will be used for
\nsports development.<\/p>\n
\"We must strictly select the management personnel to run the
\nprogram, and decide fair distribution of the funds,\" Tini said,
\nadding that sports development deserved most of the money raised.<\/p>\n
Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar defended the huge amount
\nof funds to be reserved for prizes, claiming it would attract
\npeople to buy coupons and pack stadiums and other sports venues.<\/p>\n
\"I think the scheme is the best answer to encourage people to
\nwatch contests here. Sometimes we have to offer prizes to make
\nthem watch and that's OK.\"<\/p>\n
Prizes<\/p>\n
The foundation's executive director, Zumrotin, disputed
\nWismoyo's argument. She said the prizes might not lure people to
\nattend sports competitions but only to try to win prizes.<\/p>\n
But promoter Dali Taher backed Wismoyo, saying the lottery
\nwould not encourage gambling because the coupons would not
\ncontain numbers.<\/p>\n
\"Instead, the lottery will eradicate gambling. It has become
\nan open secret that there are lots of gambling dens in Kota (a
\ncommercial area of West Jakarta) and the government does not
\nreceive a cent from those places.\"<\/p>\n
Last month, the Indonesian Ulemas Council announced it had
\nturned down the sports council's request to issue an edict on
\ngambling. The council said it feared the lottery would be a
\nrepeat of the controversial SDSB, banned in November 1993.<\/p>\n
Dali said preliminary coupons would be printed in the United
\nStates before the organizers allocated the task to the state-
\nowned money printing firm, PT Peruri, under the supervision of
\nAmerican consultant, Technology Promotions Inc.<\/p>\n
He said the coupons would be sold soon after the Ministry of
\nSocial Services issues a decree approving the fund-raising
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
The sports council's consultant Hal Jensen, who has managed
\nthe same ticket sales in 70 countries and 23 states in the U.S.,
\nsaid selection of the winners would be by computers.<\/p>\n
\"I should tell you that ticket is printed on a machine that
\ncosts US$50 million,\" Jensen said. \"The printing process is
\ndesigned so you cannot cheat the ticket, you cannot change it.<\/p>\n
\"It's a very, very secured ticket. In the beginning we start
\nsmall and gradually build the investment up as the program
\nsucceeds.\" (yan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/consumer-group-gives-partial-nod-to-lottery-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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