Building facilities for children top priority: Minister

Building facilities for children top priority: Minister

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
Mahadi Sinambela said he would focus his attention on the
national development of children's interests in sports.

His commitment was expressed on Tuesday during a meeting with
officials from 20 sports organizations at his office in Senayan,
Central Jakarta. One way to fulfill his ambition is by
encouraging provincial and city administrations to build
affordable grass courts.

"I will ask officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs to
allocate some amount of the state funds for the regency
development to build grass courts. I won't ask for stadiums as
they would cost more for maintenance and staff," he said.

"The courts must be free of charge, but safe enough for youths
to play on. If possible, they can create a jogging track there,"
he added.

Sinambela said the last two governments had forgotten to
provide affordable facilities for people to enjoy sports because
any vacant lot was transformed into a gigantic shopping mall or
housing area.

"I aim to develop people's interest in sports, including
running, soccer or boxing. We have to start now because we made
mistakes in the past for failing to provide facilities. No wonder
the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) finds it difficult to
search for 20 players for its national team," he said.

"By starting soon, Indonesians will get accustomed to running.
Running is the root of sports. I may think in a simple way, but
sports development is equal to an investment," said Sinambela,
also a Golkar Party secretary-general deputy.

Sinambela, 52, also pledged to coordinate with Minister of
Finance Bambang Sudibyo, requesting a reduction of the exit tax
for athletes and sports officials.

"I promise to bring this report to the coordinating ministers
meeting for social welfare tomorrow (on Wednesday) which will be
chaired by Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri. The reduction
is reasonable. If the sport has strong sponsorship, they won't
worry about paying Rp 1 million (US$146) per person to travel
abroad," he said.

He also said he would coordinate with Minister of Industry and
Trade Yusuf Kalla, asking for a reduction in tax for imported
sports equipment.

"I ask sports officials to specify the imported equipment to
get the tax reduction," he said.

However, Sinambela could not promise to increase athletes'
welfare as the government was still facing a financial shortage.
In the past, sports organizations lured scholarships and jobs for
world-class athletes.

Sinambela said he would wait and see if there were any
developments on the case of the National Sports Council (KONI)
chairman, Wismoyo Arismunandar, who was allegedly involved in the
Bank Bali scandal.

Wismoyo was allegedly linked to PT Gelora Raya Dana Abadi
stated in the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) full audit. PT Gelora,
reportedly owned by Wismoyo and former president Soeharto's
daughter Titiek Prabowo, allegedly received Rp 100 billion from
Arung Gauk Jarre, a close associate of former state minister of
the empowerment of state enterprises and also a Golkar executive
Tanri Abeng.

Wismoyo has denied the report, saying he had no idea of the
existence of PT Gelora.

Sinambela said: "I don't exactly know about the case. I have
never read the report. But I doubt the validity of the PwC
report. PwC is a private consultant hired by the Supreme Audit
Agency (BPK) to make the audit. If the report is valid, it should
be under the authority of BPK, not PwC."

Separately, KONI vice chairman Arie Sudewo, who is also on
KONI's legal team investigating the case, told reporters that the
team, comprising KONI's legal, media and promotion divisions, has
yet to find a new development. "Please give us time to work on
it." (ivy/yan)