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