KONI discusses three fund-raising proposals

KONI discusses three fund-raising proposals

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) will
carefully weigh three proposals on fund raising for sports
development after being burned by the flak over a program
proposed last year.

KONI's official in charge of media affairs and promotion, Enny
Hardjanto, said on Friday that only one of the three proposals
had been discussed.

"The other two proposals will be brought up in a closed
meeting on Wednesday. Up to today, I still can't give further
information on which one will be selected by KONI," she said.

Enny said KONI decided to arrange a fund-raising program in an
effort to be financially independent and to eschew requesting the
government to fund sports development.

"We will be very careful to decide which proposal will be
elected because we have to consult with the Indonesian Council of
Ulemas (MUI) and the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI). If
our program was judged to be gambling, it would be very difficult
for KONI to raise funds in the future," she said.

KONI has learned a valuable lesson from a program called
Sports Awareness Campaign (TPO), which it proposed in July 1998
but was condemned by MUI as gambling. YLKI also called for the
rejection of TPO because it said it encouraged people to gamble.

TPO's operator Dali Taher, which worked together with an
American consortium, had expressed optimism that it would be able
to raise about Rp 100 billion (US$13.75 million) per year. The
campaign was scheduled to run for 10 years.

Enny said KONI would study the details of the proposals before
announcing the selected fund-raising program after the post-
fasting month holiday of Idul Fitri in January.

"We still have to study the proposals and explain them to
KONI's top officials. We also have to familiarize the program
with KONI's provincial chapters in a national congress next
year," she said.

"We want the entire sports community to understand exactly
what we will do to raise funds. We don't want any controversy to
come up after we launch the program."

"By the time we launch the program, we will issue an updated
accountability report on KONI's website."

Enny said KONI needed Rp 10 billion annually to run its
activities, including staging competitions for sports
development.

"The money is used to hold competitions and also to renovate
sports facilities in our chapters, and to enhance the welfare of
the sports community, including athletes, coaches, referees and
officials." (ivy/yan)