In regard to the funds disbursement as badly needed by the Indonesian Sea Games Organizing Committee (Inasoc) recently, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo disclosed on Thursday (Sept 30) that the funds disbursement now can be realized.
The Finance Ministry was awaiting the Inasoc`s requirement of the amount of funds through the Youth and Sports Ministry.
According to H Mahyuddin, although some facilities of the Jakabaring venues had not yet been completed such as the swimming pool and athletics stadium, the organizing committee apparently did not experience significant barriers to accomplish the facilities.
The House commission X chairman H Mahyuddin NS observed the Jakabaring stadium preparation on Thursday (Sept 29) after the Inasoc chairperson Rita Subowo explained about the organizing committee`s funding problem in a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR) commission and Youth and Sports minister in Jakarta on Friday (Sept. 9).
Rita Subowo who is also chairperson of the Indonesian national sports committee (KONI) disclosed that in a bid to carry out the SEA Games as scheduled, Inasoc hoped about Rp700 billion from the 2011 revised state budget could be disbursed before September 15 because Inasoc was in need of money.
The Inasoc then asked the government to issue a presidential decree or presidential regulation as legal umbrella in order to expedite the disbursement of the funds from the revised 2011 state budget, for instance for goods procurements and services.
In response to the Inasoc requirement about the funds disbursement, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed the presidential regulation (Perpres) and addendum to the presidential decree (Kepres) on Thursday (Sept 15, 2011).
The presidential regulation and addendum to the presidential decree as a legal umbrella were designed to speed up the disbursement of funds from the revised 2011 state budget, for instance for goods and services procurement in preparing the upcoming Sea Games.
The presidential regulation enables the Inasoc to procure goods and services for the Sea Games through direct appointment rather than through tenders as normally required.
A total of 542 gold medals will be contested in 44 sports games. In Palembang, Sea Games will be held at the Jakabaring sports complex. Half of the 44 sports games will be held in the South Sumatra capital city of Palembang.
The opening and closing ceremony of the Sea Games were scheduled to be held in the Jakabaring sports stadium.
Indonesia has hosted Sea Games namely the 10th Sea Games in 1979, the 15th Sea Games in 1987 and the 19th Sea Games in 1997.
In addition, the 44 branches of sports which will be competed in Jakarta and Palembang on November 11-22, 2011 are 1.Aquatics, 2. Archery, 3. Athletics, 4. Badminton, 5. Baseball, 6. Basketball, 7. Billiards & Snooker, 8. Bowling, 9. Boxing, 10. Bridge, 11. Canoeing, 12. Chess, 13. Cycling, 14. Equestrian, 15. Fencing, 16. Fin Swimming, 17. Football, 18. Futsal, 19. Golf, 20. Gymnastics, 21. Judo, 22. Karate, 23. Paragliding, 24. Pencak Silat, 25. Petanque, 26. Roller Sports, 27. Rowing, 28. Sailing, 29. Sepaktakraw, 30. Shorinji Kempo, 31. Shooting, 32. Softball, 33. Soft Tennis, 34. Table Tennis, 35. Taekwondo, 36. Tennis, 37. Traditional Boat Race, 38. Volleyball, 39. Vovinam, 40. Wall Climbing ,41. Water Ski, 42. Weightlifting, 43. Wrestling, and 44. Wushu.
The SEA Games will be participated in by hundreds of athletes from eleven countries namely from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Timor Leste, Vietnam and Indonesia as the host.
In the meantime, prior to the opening of the SEA Games, around 150 athletes will conduct the torchlight parade across 15 districts and cities in South Sumatra, chairman of the Indonesian national sports committee (KONI) provincial chapter, Muddai Madang said on Friday.
Apart from that, hundreds of civil servants of the provincial youth and sports affairs office will also take part in the parade, he said.
According to Madang, the torch will stay overnight at every district and cities of the South Sumatra.
The parade will pass through the districts of Banyuasin, Muba, Musi Rawas and Lubuk Linggau, Empatlawang, Pagaralam,
Lahat and Muaraenim, Ogan Komering Ulu, Ogan Komering Ulu Selatan, Ogan Komering Ulu Timur, Ogan Komering Ilir, Prabumulih, Ogan Ilir, and Palembang.
The SEA Games torch will arrive at Palembang city a day ahead of the SEA Games opening ceremony on November 11.
Meanwhile, the Singaporean Minister for society, youth and sports affairs Chan Chun Sing when speaking with Indonesian journalists in Singapore on Thursday believed that the Indonesian government will be successful in the carrying out the 26th SEA Games.(*)
Reporter: Bustanuddin
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
