Fund facts

Fund facts

From Sinar Pagi

On Nov. 24, Sinar Pagi daily reported that at least Rp 100
billion of the sale of SEA Games stickers had evaporated. A
provisional calculation has shown that sticker sales by various
agencies netted Rp 194,828 billion. The recent SEA Games required
funds of Rp 105 billion.

The government has extended the period for sticker sales until
December, in consideration of the consortium acting as the
executive committee, which still lacks funds.

Among the various agencies, PT Telkom has yielded at least Rp
42 billion. This figure has been arrived at by: the number of the
company's customers, times the price of the stickers, times seven
(the collection period lasts seven months).

PLN, the state electricity company, with 20 million
subscribers, must have collected Rp 140 billion at least if the
calculation is based on the lowest priced sticker, Rp 1,000.

Elsewhere, Rp 2,500 and Rp 5,000 stickers are sold to offices
and businesses.

There are other sites compelled to sell stickers: recreation
and amusement centers countrywide, land and sea transportation
ticket offices, all city water companies countrywide, etc., etc..
The total amount must be staggering.

The question to ask now is what the financial justification of
the revenues from stickers. It is all obscure.

There have been many deviations from the policy for sticker
sales for sports events like the National Games (PON) and the SEA
Games. It is no secret that there are people who derive profit
from the policy. Those people hide behind the government policy.

However persistent the refusal of the community, even aided by
the Indonesian Consumers Institute and supported by legislators,
the policy has remained unshaken and valid.

The problem is that the people who are the object of the
collection can do nothing about it. They cannot stop the
collection; worse, they have apparently no possibility to know
where the funds have gone. What an unbelievable situation!

I appeal to the government not to issue such policies in the
future. If it desires to organize big sporting events, why not
include the private sector? The organizing committee of the
Olympic Games has chosen that way, why don't the committees for
the SEA Games, the PON and the Asian Games do likewise?

If a big event can only be held by coercing the people through
the sale of stickers (approved by the government), everybody
could do that too. If you do not believe it, just make an
announcement and people will flock to register.

In order to safeguard the name of the organizers, especially
the consortium's, they should announce total funds collected and
justify its expenditures. If it is true that Rp 100 billion has
disappeared into thin air, as reported by Sinar Pagi, the
community will be deeply disappointed. The impact will greatly
affect Indonesian sports.

RATIH DEWI SUPRIYANTO

Medan, North Sumatra