PT ARG declines to comment on sticker sales deal
JAKARTA (JP): PT Angkasa Rona Graha (ARG), which was appointed to raise funds for last year's 19th SEA Games through the sale of stickers, declined to comment on its extended contract to raise funds until April 30, 1998.
A PT ARG official, Bimmy Indrawan Tjahja, was appointed by the consortium's executive director Bambang Yoga Soegama in a letter dated Oct. 13, 1997 to distribute stickers to state-owned companies PT PLN, PT Telkom, the Ministry of Transportation and provincial revenue agencies from July 1, 1997 to April 30, 1998.
But a minister of social services' instruction states the fund-raising must end on Dec. 31, 1997.
Bimmy, who declined to meet with journalists, said yesterday that reporters could only get information from consortium official Erwan Soekardja.
"I was only assigned to audit the revenue in the consortium's bank account," he said by telephone.
Separately, the Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications inspector general, Djoko Pramono, said PT Telkom had submitted Rp 5.37 billion (US$565,264) to PT ARG on Nov. 31.
"PT Telkom raised funds from December but has yet to submit them to the consortium," he said.
The Indonesian Consumers Foundation's vice chairman, Agus Pambagio, urged the public Monday to support its efforts to sue the consortium for its shortcomings in sticker sales.
"We're still working on what kind of charge is perfect for the consortium if it is proven guilty of breaking the law," Agus said.
The foundation has announced that the public could help by informing it of any inconsistencies in sticker sales.
"We have also contacted some lawyers, including Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara and lawyers from the Legal Aid Institute," Agus said.
The foundation has been investigating the activities related to fund-raising by PT PLN, PT Telkom, the Ministry of Transportation, provincial revenue agencies and PT ARG.
The consortium said PT ARG had only paid it Rp 18.75 billion from three months of sticker sales. But it suffered a Rp 68.1 billion loss, raising Rp 87.9 billion against outgoing costs of Rp 156 billion.
The consortium complained that proceeds from sticker sales in nightspots had not been transferred to its account and that many fake stickers had been sold to the public.
Agus said the foundation had been against fund-raising through sticker sales because the public felt cheated by the same type of fund-raising for the 1996 National Games.
The Games organizers' competition deputy, Muhammad Hindarto, said the consortium had not paid debts incurred from buying sports equipment and paying allowances.
Hindarto said he had to borrow money from a Singaporean friend to buy hockey balls worth S$3,840 (US$2,211).
The organizers also had to pay Rp 288 million for doping tests and gender verification tests, Rp 90 million to print competition forms and Rp 168 million for foreign referees airline tickets and allowances.
Hindarto, who is also the National Sports Council's athletes development deputy, said sports organizations must start grooming their athletes in June for the 1999 SEA Games in Brunei Darussalam.
"After the Asian Games in Bangkok in December, we can start grooming the athletes from March to May to compete in the 20- sports biennial event," he said. (yan)