Sun, 02 Mar 1997

Hayono's office to get an operational board

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman indicated that his office is to have an operational board to support its function in developing sports.

After the four-day National Sports Coordinating Meeting and the National Sports Conference, Hayono said Friday that most participants had given their vote to this option over two others.

The other options were, first, to change the state minister's office into a department and second, to make the National Sports Council a nondepartmental government body.

"The conference has yet to decide but the participants threw their weight behind this option," he said.

The operational board is a nonstructural board to promote and develop national sports.

Other ministries involved in the boards are:

* the Ministry of Home Affairs

* the Ministry of Education and Culture

* the Ministry of Health

* the Ministry of Social Services

* the Ministry of Religious Affairs

* the Ministry of Public Works

* the Ministry of Transportation

* the State Minister of Research and Technology Office

* the State Minister of Environment Office

* the State Minister of Women's Roles Office

* the State Minister of Population/Chairman of the National Family Planning Board Office

* the Ministry of Defense and Security Commander of the Armed Forces

Hayono said the structure of his office as the coordinator of those offices and ministries is still weak.

"To face the needs in the 21st century, it's weak. If we are satisfied with champion of the SEA Games, we can't improve our rankings in the Asian Games and the Olympics," he said.

"But we have ambitions to be better in the Asian Games and the Olympics," he said.

Sports observer Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar said Thursday that the office needs to optimize its staff effectiveness and efficiency.

"We have to maximize the function of those offices and ministries in order to boost our athletes to achieve better in international events," he said.

Hayono said the office needs to have a one-gate policy.

"All sports planning and budgeting must be approved by the state minister's office before being approved by the National Development Planning Board," he said.

Hayono refuted any possibility that there could be an overlapping between the board and the council.

"If the President approves to have the board, some members must come from the council," he said.

By having the board, Hayono is expected to receive a bigger part of the State Budget.

Bill

Hayono said the conference also discussed the national sports bill draft.

"The draft will make sure that sports facilities are important before the law and no one can change their functions to anything, even another social function," he said.

"But waiting for the draft become a bill will take about four years," he added.

Hayono said that the government will have to include sports facilities in provinces as a requirement to receiving the Prasamya Purna Karya Nugraha award for sports development.

"If a province cannot develop its sports well, it doesn't deserve the award," he said. (yan)