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Govt to cut red tape on funding for Asian Games 2018
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nation’s sports achievement, unfortunately, is not determined only by physical factors. In fact, many external factors other than athletes’ skills and discipline are also at play, affecting their achievements.
Take a look at Indonesia’s below-average performance this August at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Based on the joint evaluation and assessment conducted by the Youth and Sports Ministry as well as the Office of the Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister (Kemenko PMK), one external factor that influenced the poor outcome of the athletes’ performances concerned the complicated bureaucratic procedures on procuring financial support for the athletes.
In order to disburse funds for the athletes ahead of the games, for example, a sports branch committee had to first obtain approval from the State Secretariat. This sluggish financial procedure disrupted the disbursement of athletes’ allowances, as well as funding for the procurement of the facilities and equipment needed for their training, disrupting their concentration and lowering their overall performance.
Based on the evaluation results, Kemenko PMK acting deputy head of cultural affairs coordination Nyoman Shuida said that the government would cut the red tape on financial procedures for future international sports tournaments, starting with the upcoming Asian Games 2018, to prevent them from disrupting athletes’ performances.
He acknowledged that initially, the complicated procedure sought to ensure accountability on the use of state budget allocations for sports events. Rigid bureaucratic procedures, however, needed to be modified based on actual situations on the ground, said Nyoman.
“We will therefore simplify the bureaucratic procedure while still keeping it within the bounds of accountable governance practices,” he said.
Nyoman added that, based on these considerations, the Kemenko PMK had initiated several steps to cut the red tape, including revising the procedures for disbursing funds.
“In the future, instead of applying to the State Secretariat [to approve disbursements], you just need to get an official from the Youth and Sports Ministry to sign the request forms,” said Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi.
Nyoman stressed that merely simplifying procedures was not enough to create a conducive environment for Indonesian athletes to give their best during international sports events; proper coordination, synchronization and monitoring among participating stakeholders were also critical to making the Asian Games 2018 a success.
The Kemenko PMK is currently keeping a close eye on the construction of sports facilities and venues being developed by central and regional governments.
“[Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister] Ibu Puan Maharani has been coordinating closely with the Finance Ministry on establishing a special public service (BLU) and discussing matters on budget procurement for Asian Games 2018. She has also been keeping abreast of the Olympic Council of Asia on the progresses made by the coordinating committee,” said Nyoman.
He added that another short-term goal in preparing for the upcoming Asian Games would be to accelerate the construction of various venues in Jakarta and Palembang by making maximal use of available human resources.
“I hope we can continue strengthening our coordination process and synergize with relevant stakeholders and ministries to prepare for the Asian Games 2018, through effective and comprehensive meetings and communication,” Nyoman said.
