Games organizers spends Rp 60.4b on staging events

Games organizers spends Rp 60.4b on staging events

JAKARTA (JP): The 19th SEA Games organizing committee has
spent nearly Rp 60.4 billion (US$20,117,400) preparing to stage
the event here next month.

Arief Widodo Tjandrawinata, the organizers' planning and
budget deputy, said yesterday that the organizers expected to
receive Rp 20.7 billion of their budget in September and Rp 23.3
billion in October from the Games consortium, which is chaired by
President Soeharto's son Bambang Tri Hatmodjo.

The total budget for the event is Rp 105,661,050,000.

So far, the organizers have received Rp 40.2 billion.

Rp 13.3 billion of this comes from sponsorships, Rp 20.55
billion from sticker sales, Rp 675 million from merchandising and
city decorations. There was also a Rp 5.7 billion donation from
Bimantara cars and the National Private Banks Association.

The Rp 60.4 billion which has been spent to date includes Rp
24.3 billion to the national training program to prepare the
country's athletes for the biennial event, which starts on Oct.
11 and ends on Oct. 19.

The original budget for training was Rp 35 billion and the
consortium plans to hand it over by the end of this month.

Arief, known as Okky, said the organizers would have to spend
Rp 7.8 billion of the total Rp 8.7 billion on sports equipment.

"Equipment for the rowing, yachting, and track and field
events is still being held at the port, waiting for the paperwork
to be completed," he said.

"We are also waiting for three containers of sound equipment
for the Senayan Main Stadium. We hope we can deliver all
equipment by the end of this month."

Okky said the organizers would also have to spend Rp 9.2
billion of the 13.1 billion total budget on other equipment
needed to support the events or to stage the Games.

Rp 9.2 billion will be used to rent manual electronic scoring
boards at a cost of Rp 943 million; buy 22 security doors at a
cost of Rp 900 million; pay for official's and Indonesian
athletes' uniforms (Rp 1.9 billion); produce medals (Rp 300.35
million); and make ID cards for participants (Rp 478).

Okky said the organizers had ordered 13,000 pairs of shoes for
the torch runners.

"But since the organizers changed the plan to move the
lighting of the torch from Borobudur temple in Central Java to
Jakarta, we'll give shoes to LOs (liaison officers)," he said.

"I have given 2,000 pairs to our rowers at Jatiluhur dam.
However, we'll still have about 2,000 extra and I think we can
sell them as merchandise during the Games," he added.

The Bimantara group, owned by Bambang, will also provide
nearly 200 South-Korean made Hyundai sedans, known as Bimantara
cars, and about 400 12-seater vans for the VIPs and athletes.

The organizers have spent about Rp 4.2 billion on
transportation.

Rp 3 billion has been spent on transporting the 5,000 dancers
who have been practicing for the opening and closing ceremonies
for the last two months.

Earlier yesterday, State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
Hayono Isman reported to President Soeharto at Merdeka Palace on
the progress of the Games preparations.

Hayono emphasized measures toward budget efficiency by citing
the decision to move the torch lighting ceremony from Borobudur
to the capital.

"If we light the torch at the ASEAN Secretariat, we need less
than Rp 50 million, compared to the original budget of Rp 1.3
billion (for the Borobudur to Jakarta ceremony)," he said.

"The opening and closing ceremonies must not be very luxurious
because the most important thing is what the athletes achieve
during the event," he added. (prb/yan)