Businesspeople support plan on gambling resort

Businesspeople support plan on gambling resort

JAKARTA (JP): Businessmen and residents of the Seribu Islands
are very hopeful that the Jakarta Administration can realize its
plan to establish a gambling resort on one of the islands as the
venture could provide annual revenues of some Rp 4 trillion, a
sum similar to the current city budget.

Speaking to The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a seminar on
the islands here on Tuesday, chairman of the Association of
Marine Tourism Businessmen in Seribu Islands (Perwita Pusri),
Djafar Tirtosentono, and a senior leader in the Islands,
Syahrudin, said the business would improve the welfare of the
islanders and lead to further development of the islands as well.

Therefore, the city administration should stop procrastinating
over the plan. They said the plan could already have been
realized since Governor Sutiyoso has given written approval for
the proposal.

"Together with the head of the City Tourism Agency, I have
calculated the (possible) profits of these kinds of
(entertainment) resorts. From 500 to 1,000 gamblers, we could
collect around Rp 3 trillion to Rp 4 trillion per year from the
proposed 50 percent tax," Djafar said.

"Can you imagine what we could do with that money? We could
really improve the welfare of the people, develop the islands and
even restore the ruined ones," Djafar said.

He contended that the administration could follow the
Malaysian government, which has been running a gambling resort in
the Genting Highlands for years, by providing entertainment
facilities for the families of the gamblers.

"We can utilize one of the uninhabited islands and develop it
as a totally new resort because most of the gamblers would stay
with their families for a week," he added.

Gambling was once legal in Jakarta and earned huge income from
it during the governorship of Ali Sadikin, who governed the
capital from 1966 until 1977.

During his tenure, the Hailai gambling center in North Jakarta
and Pulo Mas Horse Track were built.

However, in 1973 the central government issued Law No. 22/1973
followed by Law No. 7/1974 restricting locals from gambling in
casinos in the country.

Until late 1980, some gambling centers were still open to
foreigners, such as the Jakarta Theater and the Hailai facility
in Ancol.

Several councillors from the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) have given their support to the latest
proposal, saying that gambling has become a fact of life so it is
fair to provide a separate place for it.

Syahruddin, the senior resident of the islands, shared
Djafar's idea, saying that what is important for the islanders is
improvement of their welfare, which seems to be unimportant to
the city administration.

"For the local people, the establishment of tourism facilities
in the islands would help improve their welfare. We do not mind
having a sports arena, resort, factory or legal gambling center
as long as it can help us," Syahrudin said.

Neither Syahrudin nor Djafar named the island proposed for the
gambling resort. (dja)