Games sticker alternative for entry ticket: Official

JAKARTA (JP): City council's deputy spokesman yesterday recommended the 19th SEA Games stickers be exchanged as Games entry tickets to encourage more people to support the sports event.

The government has repeatedly called on the public to support the sports extravaganza and make it successful by buying the stickers which were administered and issued by a government appointed consortium.

Ismunandar said the public had questioned the consortium's motive of making stickers to sell and making people pay for them when they settle their utility bills.

"To end their queries, the consortium had better allow citizens to watch the games by showing the stickers," Ismunandar said, adding that it would then motivate more people to support and help finance the event.

The Jakarta municipality's social organization's deputy Bambang Subekti said the government had set up a monitoring commission to control and evaluate the revenue from sticker sales.

"All agencies allowed to sell the stickers are required to report their collections every month," said Bambang, who is also a monitoring commission member.

"However, none of them have sent a report because some agencies have just started selling the stickers."

Ismunandar said the lack of monitoring had raised doubt among the public regarding the consortium's fund-raising project.

"The lack of controlling methods could create collusion and corruption," Ismunandar said, adding every fund-raising project involving citizens' money should first be discussed with the City Council.

In the event of somebody counterfeiting the stickers, the SEA Games committee and the municipality would be to blame for the inability to control the number of stickers issued.

Under a Ministry of Social Services decree, PT Angkasa Ronagraha was appointed to raise Rp 35 billion (US$14.6 million) to help finance the Rp 100 billion sport event through the sale of stickers.

Donations are set at between Rp 1,000 and Rp 50,000 for each sticker included in a receipt for various bills including water, electricity, telephone bills, entry to entertainment centers, grocery shoppers spending more than Rp 50,000 and applications for land titles.

"One way to avoid possible piracy is for the committee to print numbers on every sticker issued," Ismunandar said.

The Jakarta municipality gave the consortium, headed by President Soeharto's son Bambang Trihatmodjo, until May 26 to raise the funds.

"If the municipality finds that the control is poor or sticker counterfeiting occurs, a new decree will be issued," Bambang said. Illegal collection after the expiration date would also be penalized, he said.

Ten percent of the funds collected will be handed over to the committee, according to the decree. (10)