Minister pledges extra funds

Minister pledges extra funds

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of National Education Yahya A. Muhaimin
said on Tuesday that the ministry had requested the National
Development Planning Board (Bappenas) for extra funds to support
the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games training program.

"The request had been forwarded to Bappenas ... so that it
will not give such a small contribution," he said, as quoted by
Antara, after installing new officials of the Directorate General
of Sport at his ministry.

The National Sports Council (KONI) said earlier that the
government would only disburse Rp 5.5 billion of the Rp 48.6
billion needed to finance the third phase of its centralized
training program beginning in June.

Yahya said that the government's contribution was too small.
"Maybe the government wants to be consistent in its effort to
involve the public in sports development.

"But I believe that KONI has experience in dealing with
financial shortages and some of the sports organizations, like
the Badminton Association of Indonesia and the Soccer Association
of Indonesia, have set up their own strategies," he said.

The SEA Games will be held in Kuala Lumpur in September. (ivy)