Govt rules fund raising to continue for SEA Games

Fri, 13 Jun 1997, 00:00 WIB | Source: JP

JAKARTA (JP): The government announced yesterday that the fund
raising program to finance the Southeast Asia Games (SEA Games)
here in October would continue.

But State Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Hayono Isman
promised that the government would tighten the collection method,
which has been a source of complaint since fund-raising began in
March.

The Jakarta administration and the East Java provincial
government stopped the fund raising program of SEA Games sticker
sales because of its controversy.

The fund raising program was officially meant to end Monday,
but a limited cabinet meeting to review it decided yesterday to
extend the program.

"Probably for four more months," Hayono said after the
meeting.

The meeting felt that the SEA Games must be held and, for
this, public contributions were essential, he said. "We believe
that the public wishes to help us organize the Games. What they
want however is certainty and transparency."

The private consortium entrusted to raise the money had
collected Rp 3.7 billion ($1.5 million) by yesterday.

When PT Angakasa Rona Graha, the consortium, launched the
program in March, it had hoped to raise Rp 40 billion ($16
million) by selling stickers with nominal values of between Rp
1,000 and Rp 50,000. The money is needed to finance the
construction and refurbishment of sport facilities.

The campaign was widely criticized by consumer groups because
it forced people to buy the stickers when they paid their utility
bills. Selected restaurants and hotels and toll road gates had
also charged people for the stickers.

Haryono promised an improved collection method, more
transparency over how the money was spent and an accountability
report.

Details of the collection method would be discussed further
before they would be announced later this month, he said.

The minister said one way to placate the critics was to
convert the stickers bought by people into entry tickets to the
Games in October.

"This will encourage people to participate in the Sea Games,"
he said, adding that Indonesia needed to regain the overall
championship title which it lost to Thailand at the last Games in
the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai two years ago.

The government would also encourage people to take any
complaints, about the way stickers were sold, directly to the
National Sports Committee, he said.

Hayono said the government would discuss alternative means of
raising money in anticipation that stickers sales might be below
target.

The minister admitted that there were violations in the way
the stickers were being sold, hence their unpopularity. "On
behalf of the Games' organizer, I apologize for these
violations", he said.

He said the violations were mostly caused by administrators'
ignorance. "Some governors did not even understand the system,
let alone the public," he said.

Present at yesterday's meeting were Minister of Mines and
Energy I.B. Sudjana, Minister of Post, Telecommunications and
Tourism Joop Ave, Coordinating Minister of Social Welfare Azwar
Anas, Minister of Social Services Inten Soeweno, Armed Forces'
Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Tarub and National Sports
Committee Chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar.

On Wednesday, Jakarta Legislative Council Speaker M.H. Ritonga
said he would support whatever decision Governor Surjadi
Soedirdja made regarding the SEA Games fund raising program.
(11/ste)