PDIP Calls JIS Must Be Improved To Perform, Alludes To Debt Installments For Development Of Hundreds Of Billions Per Year

Member of the PDIP faction of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Gilbert Simanjuntak, considers the plan to repair the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) by the central government and the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to have nothing to do with political conditions.

Gilbert said that the stadium managed by PT Jakpro BUMD really needs to be repaired so that its function can be maximized as a sports match venue.

This is because JIS was built with central government loan funds through the National Economic Recovery (PEN) program distributed by state-owned PT SMI in 2020 and 2021 with a value of IDR 3.6 trillion.

Meanwhile, the remaining costs for the construction of the stadium located in Papanggo, Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, which were disbursed from the DKI Regional Budget were only IDR 900 billion.

"JIS must be utilized and its utilities maximized. Operations per year of around Rp. 80 billion will not be able to be covered by PT Jakpro, considering that PT Jakpro's own burden is enormous because of the many assignments in the Anies Baswedan era as Governor," Gilbert said in his statement, Friday, July 14.

The central government, continued Gilbert, has indeed made it easier for the DKI Provincial Government to pay off debt with a loan period of 8 years, a grace period of 2 years and only pay principal installments (0 percent interest) for term I loans. Then interest 5.66 percent per year for 5 years with a grace period of 6 months for term II loans.

However, the value of installment fees by the DKI Provincial Government per year in the first 5 years is roughly still large, namely IDR 543.9 billion and IDR 307.5 billion in the next 3 years. This figure is still outside the interest and operational expenses of JIS of IDR 80 billion per year.

"This means that after Anies is no longer the governor, the installments will be borne by 2 more governors, namely the Acting Governor and Governor of DKI as a result of the 2024 Pilkada. Meanwhile, on the other hand, the utility is almost nothing but for non-olahraga activities," explained Gilbert.

Meanwhile, regarding the involvement of President Joko Widodo's ministers in the JIS improvement plan, Gilbert considered this reasonable. Given, there is a central government budget for the improvement.

"All parties should support the revitalization of JIS through improvements that are to be carried out, not playing like victims because the victims are actually DKI residents due to the use of unproductive budgets for JIS if they are not used," he added.