Regent keeps hopes high for gambling centers plan

Regent keeps hopes high for gambling centers plan

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Kepulauan Seribu

Kepulauan Seribu (The Thousand Islands) regency still hopes its
plan to develop gambling centers will materialize since its tax
revenue from the tourist industry is small and could not cover
its development spending.

However, Regent K. Abdul Kadir, who first announced the
gambling center plan, refused to comment on Tuesday about the
plan amid heated public debate for the past weeks.

"Don't ask me about it. I told you that I'm just an officer
who would facilitate it (the plan)," Kadir told reporters on the
sidelines of the visit of Deputy Governor for Administrative
Affairs, Abdul Kahfi, to the islands.

Although the plan for gambling centers was still far off,
Kadir insisted on pursuing his plan to develop the regency for
major marine tourism.

He said the city budget had allocated Rp 124 billion (US$12.4
million) this year for the regency's development spending,
including the repair of an air strip on Panjang island.

"The air strip is aimed to support tourism in the northern
part of the regency," Kadir said.

He revealed that the North Kepulauan Seribu district which is
located far from the mainland, is to host high class resorts
while the South Kepulauan Seribu district is planned for medium
class resorts.

Kadir revealed last month that 36 islands, which are located
in the North Kepulauan Seribu district, were prepared for
gambling centers, claiming that several local businessmen who
have gambling interests abroad have expressed their willingness
to invest in the business.

The regency aims to attract foreign gamblers who will be
picked up at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and flown
to Panjang island using light aircraft before being ferried to
other islands.

One of the investors promised to contribute Rp 1.5 trillion to
the city budget if he was allowed to manage the gambling centers.

The regency's tourism office head Djasman S. revealed that the
resorts paid taxes of Rp 2.4 billion last year, saying that his
office targeted a 15 percent increase this year.

"It's small. But we see a possible rise due to the improved
security situation," Djasman told reporters on Tuesday.

He said about 60,000 foreign and domestic tourists visited the
resort islands last year and a 15 percent rise in the number of
tourists had been predicted for this year.

He denied that gambling centers have been operating on certain
islands, such as Sepa island and Kaliage island.

The regency consists of 110 big and small islands with a
population of 17,000 people. Forty-five of the islands were
managed by private companies, but only nine of them have been
developed as resorts. The remaining 36 islands have not been
developed.