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)