World Cup affects economic life of poor people
Damar Harsanto and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Do not ask Sumaryati about the World Cup. She will grumble for hours over the popular competition that lures sports fans from around the world.
"I hate the World Cup! It ruined my family life," the 36-year- old housewife told The Jakarta Post at Palmerah market, Central Jakarta on Friday.
Sumaryati complained that her family's daily revenue has dropped by 50 percent because her husband, a public minivan driver, would rather watch the games than pick up passengers.
As a driver, her husband earns between Rp 100,000 and Rp 120,000 during an eight-hour work day. He hands Rp 75,000 over to the van's owner for renting the vehicle, keeps Rp 10,000 for himself and gives the rest to his wife.
He shares the minivan with another driver. He works three mornings a week and three afternoons on alternative days.
However, since the World Cup started on May 31, he has not been enthusiastic about working, especially during the time when the matches are aired on television.
Private television station RCTI broadcasts the matches live twice a day, starting from 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
"The worst happens if he's on the afternoon shift," said Sumaryati, who has two children and lives in a rented house in the Kebayoran Lama area of South Jakarta.
Her husband still works, but he will go home as soon as he earns enough to pay the van's rental fee and a little money for the family.
She said that he usually would give her between Rp 20,000 and Rp 30,000, but now, she receives only about Rp 15,000.
After handing the money over to his wife, he then watches the game with friends at a cigarette stall near his home.
"The stupid game, why does it have to run so long? I have to use my savings to support the family now," Sumaryati said.
Similarly, another low-income breadwinner, Achmad, 40, who works as an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver in Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta, said his revenue had sharply plummeted by more than 30 percent to Rp 20,000 from Rp 30,000.
"Yes, it is mainly because I prefer going home to watch the match than work," Achmad smiled. He has been working as an ojek driver for four years.
"For me, it doesn't matter if I lose money to take in the must-see matches. The World Cup is a rare event, which only lasts for a month," Achmad said.
Achmad claimed that his wife never complained about his viewing habits.
"My wife and five children are also fond of watching the match," Achmad said.
Achmad, however, said that he did not watch all the World Cup matches.
"Only if it features my favorite teams will I tune in to watch them," Achmad said.
Meanwhile, Ali, 48, another ojek driver in Kuningan, South Jakarta, attributed his drop in earnings to sluggish business.
"The offices along Jl. HR Rasuna Said here have become so empty when the match starts, especially in the afternoon," said Ali.
He guessed that many people either prefer watching the match in their offices or going home early.
"Like today, I went to work at 1 p.m. and it's already 3 p.m but I've only made Rp 3,000. Usually, I can get Rp 10,000 in three hours," Ali sighed.
Soccer remains one of the most popular pastimes among Indonesians. On any given Sunday, parks and thoroughfares in the capital fill up with people playing soccer amid the city's lack of playing grounds.