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.