SEA Games stickers don't burden public: Wismoyo

JAKARTA (JP): The 19th SEA Games are only five months away but fund-raising is still inviting controversy.

The National Sports Council and the games consortium urged the public not to complain about the additional fees added on top of their electricity, water, telephone and other bills.

"We give opportunities to the caring public who have enough money to contribute in sponsoring the games. It's an honor for them to have this opportunity," council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar told a press conference yesterday.

The government has issued Presidential Decree number 5/1996 which appointed the consortium, chaired by President Soeharto's son Bambang Trihatmodjo, to raise funds to help finance the biennial regional event, slated for Oct. 11 to Oct. 19.

Wismoyo questioned the validity of the complaints.

"The Minister for Social Services will not issue a decree if fund-raising makes a burden on society," Wismoyo said emotionally.

"You (the journalists) start interfering in our business like this. You, who don't pay telephone bills, are complaining even though you don't own telephones," he said.

"This is a matter of people who have a conscience and available money. Payment for the fees should be voluntary. If you keep doing this to us, no private sector will want to cooperate with the council," he added.

Ministerial decree number BSS/826/III/97, which was issued by the Ministry of Social Services on March 11, 1997, stated that the consortium was allowed to raise funds from the public by selling 17,750,000 stickers.

Sixteen million of the stickers are sold for Rp 1,000 (US$41.7 cents) each, 300,000 stickers are sold for Rp 2,500 each, 700,000 stickers are sold for Rp 5,000 each, 400,000 stickers are sold for Rp 10,000 each, 50,000 stickers are sold for Rp 25,000 each and 300,000 stickers are sold for Rp 50,000 each.

The consortium hopes to raise Rp 40 billion (US$16.7 million) from the sticker sales. The amount would be reduced by Rp 5 billion for operational costs, including security ribbons on the stickers.

The ministerial decree mentioned targets of the sticker sales included customers of state-owned electricity company PLN who had more than 900 watts, state-owned water company PAM customers, state-owned telecommunications company Telkom customers, drivers or car owners who wanted to renew or ask for drivers' licenses, and vehicle registration documents.

Hotels, restaurants, recreational parks and airports in 27 provinces have also charged their customers for the stickers.

No income

Enggartiasto Lukita, a member of the consortium, said that the consortium expects to raise about Rp 4 to 5 billion each month from electricity users alone.

"The number of electricity customers is nearly 3.8 million," he said.

Enggartiasto said that the consortium has yet to receive any money from the sticker sales, which is distributed by PT Angkasa Rona Graha.

"We haven't received a single cent from the sticker sales," he said.

Ninety percent of the funds is used to finance the games while the other 10 percent is for administration costs in raising the funds.

"Stickers sales are only a part of our efforts in raising funds. Benefits from the sales cannot finance the entire budget plan," he said.

The games budget is estimated to be Rp 101 billion, including Rp 35 billion to finance preparations for national athletes. The amount excludes the athletes village construction budget.

Enggartiasto said the consortium has three months to raise the funds and the decree could also be extended.

He emphasized that being a member of the consortium is not a stage for businesspeople to benefit from the events.

"This is not a place where we can seek to profit, but it's part of a conscious effort to make this event successful. This is a commitment by the entire games consortium. What we've attempted so far is much higher than this," he said.

He also said official sponsors -- National Panasonic, Tiger Beer, Konica, Aqua and Nikon -- and official suppliers have only committed Rp 10 billion from the consortium's prediction of Rp 20 billion. (yan)