Kahfi clarifies Sutiyoso's trip to Philippines

Kahfi clarifies Sutiyoso's trip to Philippines

JAKARTA (JP): Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul
Kahfi clarified yesterday that Governor Sutiyoso's mysterious
trip to the Philippines was related to his job and not to attend
a junior soccer game.

Kahfi said that Sutiyoso was on a mission to restore the
city's image overseas after Jakarta was hit by massive riots in
May and to attract foreign investors to return to the city.

"His trip has long been scheduled. Due to investors' doubts to
come to the city, the governor considered it necessary to explain
the reality of Jakarta.

"His trip has no relation to any soccer game. It is just
coincidental that the national junior team is playing in Manila.
Is it wrong if he goes there to give moral support to the
Indonesian team?" he said.

Sutiyoso's departure for the Philippines on Tuesday afternoon,
which occurred without any explanation, was queried by city
councilors as it comes at a time when the city is struggling both
with the impact of the prolonged crisis and to bring the security
situation under control.

On Tuesday the only available information about Sutiyoso's
journey came from a source at the city administration who said
that Sutiyoso "will attend a junior soccer game".

According to the All Indonesian Soccer Federation, the
Philippines is currently hosting the qualifying round for the
Under-19 Asia Cup which was scheduled to start Tuesday and last
through Sunday.

Kahfi said the trip would be paid for from the city budget.

He understood that the governor had promised not to allocate
any budget for official travel this year due to the lack of money
in the city budget, "but it doesn't mean that should be
motionless."

"For the sake of the people's needs there's still a
possibility to travel abroad. Moreover, the trip is to convince
the neighboring country that the city's situation (after being
rocked by riots) is not as bad as they imagine," he told
reporters after, on behalf of Sutiyoso, reading the city
administration's replies to councilors' questions on the draft
bylaw on the city budget for the 1997/1998 fiscal year.

Councilor Saud Rahman of the United Development Party faction
strongly opposed Kahfi's explanation, accusing the deputy
governor of just trying to seek an excuse.

"Most ASEAN countries are hit by the economic crisis, so it
doesn't make sense if the governor looks for investors there," he
said.

Saud also protested the city administration's policy that the
governor's trip would be paid for with funds from the city
budget.

"I can't understand how he can use funds from city budget to
travel abroad, while the administration has just rejected a
proposal by city councilors who want to travel to the Thousand
Islands, just to the north of here, to observe the uncontrollable
land reclamation practices, illegal sand excavation and harvest
of coral there," he said.

He said that the observation was planned to be held last week.

"At that time the councilors could understand that there's no
funding allocation for the trip to the Thousand Islands. However,
why are there suddenly funds for the governor's overseas trip,
which is much more expensive?" he said.

However, the head of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction
Lukman Mokoginta said that he could accept Kahfi's explanation.

"I don't object the governor's trip if it's related to the
city's affairs," he said. (ind)