Yogyakarta to host tourism forum

Yogyakarta to host tourism forum

YOGYAKARTA: Administration executives and legislators here are
debating whether or not to construct a building as the venue of
the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) which will be held in the historic
city in 2002.

Djoko Budi Sulistyo, deputy chairman of the Yogyakarta
Regional Development Planning Body, said on Wednesday that the
event, which will gather some 1,500 delegates, would need an
appropriate building with convention and exhibition halls.

"A 9,000 square-meter building complex is planned to be
constructed in Janti subdistrict, some eight kilometers east of
here," Djoko said adding that "it would be a single story
building."

But Nur Ahmad Affandi, deputy speaker of the council here,
told The Jakarta Post that while the city is committed to host
the event slated for Jan. 21 to 28, not all factions had approved
of the plan to construct the new building.

"Most factions, except the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-Perjuangan), had agreed. We wanted the decision to
be made through consensus, without voting," he remarked.

"Personally, I think that the establishment of the Rp 22
billion building would benefit the province. Several businessmen
had told me that they needed a suitable building for their
business activities, including displaying their products," he
said.

Nur Ahmad added that about Rp 12.5 billion of the construction
cost was expected to be donated by the central government.

PDI-Perjuangan's objection was based on skepticism over the
economic prospects of such a large building which would also
require high maintenance, Nur Ahmad remarked. (23)