Games consortium asked to sell stickers
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto says he wants the 19th SEA Games consortium to take direct control of selling fund-raising stickers, and to stop using a separate company to do it.
Minister of Social Services Inten Soeweno said yesterday after a meeting with the President that if the consortium could not supervise the sales itself "the ministry of social services will not extend the fund raising permit".
The SEA Games consortium, chaired by Soeharto's son Bambang Trihatmodjo, is using PT Angkasa Rona Graha (ARG) to carry out the fund raising.
ARG said last week that so far it had collected only Rp 3.7 billion (US$1.5 million). Its original target was Rp 35 billion. The company originally planned to sell 17,750,000 stickers at between Rp 1,000 and Rp 50,000 each.
Inten said yesterday: "We believe PT Angkasa Rona Graha will not take advantage of its position as fund raiser."
The ministerial decree authorizing the sticker sales expired on June 11. The consortium has asked for an extension, promising that it would improve its management, but so far this has not been granted.
The Indonesian Consumers Agency last week said it was concerned about the apparent shortfall in sticker sales revenue and asked the consortium to explain the situation.
The agency said the public expected the consortium to be properly managed. This was particularly important given that consumers were being forced to buy the stickers and they were not really a voluntary purchase, as stated in the ministerial decree.
Inten said President Soeharto was very concerned about the problem.
"Although it's only Rp 1000 it has been a burden to the public," she said.
The consortium's deputy for business and promotion Enggartiasto Lukita said the consortium would follow the President's orders.
"I'll do everything the President says because it's for the country's sake. There is a problem in the fund raising because SEA Games is not a perfect sports events to promote or advertise, unlike the Olympics," he said.
Games organizing committee deputy chairman Arie Sudewo said the tickets could be used as free passes to watch 34 sports events during the event, which will be staged from Oct. 11 to Oct. 19.
"We're still working on the operational method. We don't know how many stickers can be traded in for a ticket," he said.
Arie said the organizers would have to pay attention to security at some of the popular sports including soccer, badminton and indoor volleyball.
Media
The Ministry of Information will allow printed media to have additional pages exclusively for the nine-day Games coverage to support the event.
The ministry's Director General of Press and Graphics Subrata said the ministry was discussing details such as the number of pages and the advertising space.
"The ministry will issue a notification letter to all print media chief editors on the details," he said.
The National Sports Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar, the Indonesian Journalists Association chairman Sofyan Lubis and press representatives also attended yesterday's meeting.
Subrata said he hoped the media would join forces with them to make the event a success.
Lubis and other press representatives said the media would help cover the biennial event on condition that the organizers were transparent in fund raising management. (06/11/yan)