KONI still hoping for govt approval of Damura
JAKARTA (JP): Despite controversy involving gambling, and the strict conditions applied by the office of the state minister of social affairs and the National Social Welfare Agency (BKSN), the National Sports Council (KONI) still hopes that the government will approve the fund-raising program called Damura (the People's fund for Sports).
KONI secretary-general Rudolf S. Warouw said KONI and PT Mutiara Mandala Mahardhika (3M) had agreed to the demands made by BKSN chairman Anak Agung Gde Agung.
"I think we can fulfill the BKSN's demand. Once we have made improvements to the scheme it will be up to the government to approve it. If he give us time to make the necessary changes I think there's still hope for Damura to continue," he said on Wednesday.
Anak Agung said that his office gave PT 3M two weeks to fulfill the 12 conditions. He added that he would withhold approval should the company fail to fulfill those conditions.
Warouw said there was a misunderstanding with BKSN and PT 3M over the fund-raising scheme. He cited as an example one of BKSN's requirements to extend Damura's ticket use for the watching of sporting events.
"The requirement is similar to the old concept of Ticket Peduli Olahraga's (Sports Awareness Campaign) fund-raising scheme. With the new concept, the ticket can't be used to watch sports events. We have a misunderstanding. We need to find more effective ways of communicating," he said.
Warouw, who met with PT 3M officials on Monday evening, contradicted reports that PT 3M would sue BKSN should it fail to approve the program.
"We are not thinking about taking anybody to court. I did not ask Bu Mutia Farida (General Manager of PT 3M) about it. We are talking about sportsmanship, so let's think in a more positive way. I wonder if Bu Mutia really said such a thing."
He said that KONI was still considering another other fund- raising program besides Damura.
"We have been studying Damura for three years. We are looking at around 60 alternatives. Damura should go on because next year we have many sports events. We won't have much time to approve another program now."
Damura has sparked controversy since it was announced early last February. Many sports officials consider the program an ineffective way to raise funds for sports development because only 6.5 percent of its total income has been earmarked for athletics.
Others believe that Damura encourages gambling.
If PT 3M finally decides to lower the total percentage of prize money from 50 percent to 40 percent and give the 10 percent percentage to KONI, the council would receive 16.5 percent to support sports development.
Each Damura ticket consists of two parts. The first is a scratch and win card, offering people the chance to win between Rp 5,000 and Rp 25 million. The second part is a one-month life insurance policy which the holder or his or her estate can claim Rp 2.5 million should he or she suffer a permanent disability or dies.
Warouw also said that the council and PT 3M would explain to Anak Agung why they wouldn't print the scratch cards at state money printing company PT Peruri.
"Peruri's printing technology is less sophisticated. So we decided to have the card made overseas," he said. (ivy)