PSSI Receives More Than IDR 50 Billion In Funds, Menpora: No Excessive Questions

MoU process for granting aid from the Ministry of Youth and Sports to PSSI (Photo: Kemenpora)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora) provided a grant of IDR 50,619,561,500 to the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) for the preparation of the Indonesian U-19 national team towards the 2021 U-20 World Cup. Funds are more than 50 percent of the proposed budget. PSSI, namely IDR 69,144,333,292.

The Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora), Zainudin Amali, said the funds provided were in accordance with PSSI's needs. This amount has also gone through transparent and accountable verification.

"We are the host, so we have to prepare well. What is conveyed by sports is what we verify," said the Menpora to the media.

Menpora then asked not to compare the amount of assistance funds provided by the Ministry of Youth and Sports for sports (sports). According to him, the numbers cannot be the same because the needs are also different. For the government, in this case the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the most important thing is that what is given can be sufficient according to needs.

"So don't look at this sport as small, this sport big and so on. It's not like that. Judging by what the needs are, how much needs, for what. So that's the basis for providing aid funds from the government," explained the Golkar Party politician.

Menpora added, if on the way or if there is a need that is accommodated, the government can provide additional funds through an addendum. This can be done because all can be accounted for.

This man from Gorontalo emphasized that everything was done transparently and openly. The review process was carried out by academics and practitioners, and involved PSSI.

"There should be no excessive questions about the budget. This is a common thing and we can account for it in a later report," he said.

He then said, the review of the PSSI proposal took a long time. In fact, this assistance was given to PSSI with a little coercion because the parent of the national soccer sport was the only one who did not ask for assistance from the government through the state budget.

"But now because of the government's obligation, we are forced to accept assistance, because this is in the national interest. Our national team must be successful," said the Menpora.