Extended sale of stickers to go ahead

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso gave his support yesterday to the central government's decision to extend the sale of SEA Games stickers until Dec. 31.

"As the central government has decided to extend the sale, we will follow that decision," the governor said.

Sutiyoso said he had not decided whether to issue a new decree on the extension of sales because he had not paid much attention to the government's ruling.

"It should be carefully studied because it relates to the public's money," he said in response to questions about the controversial sale of SEA Games stickers which sparked a public outcry in the lead up to the event.

Based on Ministerial Decree No.163/HUK-SS/1997, the sale of stickers will be extended until Dec. 31, even though the event ended on Oct. 19.

The sale of stickers was aimed at collecting funds for the Games and it was supposed to be voluntary but, in fact, it forced everyone to participate.

The Indonesian Consumers Foundation has urged people to boycott the Games stickers, with funds collected through the payment of monthly telephone, water and electricity bills.

The call was provoked by the Games consortium's failure to issue transparent reports on its budgeting.

The consortium originally expected to raise Rp 35 billion (about US$10 million) from the fund-raising sale to help meet the Rp 105 billion budget needed to stage the Games and finance the national training program.

City councilors expressed their dissatisfaction yesterday with the extension of sticker sales.

Councilor Lukman Mokoginta of Commission D for development affairs said the SEA Games consortium should make public its financial reports for total revenue from the stickers.

"They must be able to give complete reports on the revenue. How much did the Games cost? Is there any profit or loss? This matter must be cleared up first," he said.

Councilor Rusdi Hamka voiced similar concerns.

"Our people are fed up with this kind of treatment. Don't burden them with levies anymore," he said.

"Moreover, as the committee for the SEA Games has not given its official report on the public's money, they are just asking 'where did the money go?'"

The two councilors urged the municipality to be more courageous and reject the sale extension.

"The governor must be wise about this matter," Rusdi said. "Don't burden the people anymore." (07/05)