PDIP Says Central Government Needs To Help Fund JIS Infrastructure Improvement For The U-17 World Cup

Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) in North Jakarta. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the PDIP faction of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Gembong Warsono, assessed that the DKI Provincial Government and PT Jakarta Propertindo need to immediately map the shortage of infrastructure to supporting facilities for the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS).

This refers to the JIS option to become one of the U-17 World Cup venues in November. When everyone agreed that JIS had a shortage in organizing international football, improvements began to be planned.

From this improvement plan, Gembong views that the central government needs to help the DKI Provincial Government in funding the renovation of JIS if it is deemed burdensome to the DKI Regional Budget.

"It was inventoried one by one which problems did not meet FIFA standards. Then we will calculate the budget allocation. If the budget is not too heavy, the provincial government can afford it. But if the burden is heavy, of course we have to work together between the center and the regions and BUMD," said Gembong to reporters, Monday, July 3.

Therefore, Gembong suggested that the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono facilitate Jakpro as the BUMD manager of JIS with the central government in accelerating the improvement of the stadium whose construction cost around Rp5 trillion.

"This is for bigger interests, it needs central and regional collaboration that must be built properly. So, not throwing away whose responsibility is whose responsibility," explained Gembong.

The U-17 World Cup is scheduled to be held from November 10 to December 2. Regarding the use of venues or stadiums, until now FIFA has not checked.

Gelora Bung Karno Stadium has a small possibility to hold the opening of the U-17 World Cup due to clashes with the Coldplay band concert agenda, which previously obtained permission to use the concert which will be held on November 15.

JIS is one of the stadiums that is the option for the U-17 World Cup venue. The Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) will be renovated for the U-17 World Cup venue even though it is still a new stadium. Regarding that, Menpora Dito Ariteedjo explained in detail the problems related to JIS renovation.

"Regarding JIS, there are many polemics, so many parties have different opinions. But the real principle is that regarding the stadium, there are not only JIS, there are 22 Indonesian stadiums that we will focus on, we will see from which access needs to be improved, renovated, and perfected, we can see," said Dito Ariotedjo in a statement received on Sunday, July 2.

Furthermore, the Minister of Youth and Sports said that JIS and a number of stadiums in the country are actually multifunctional means that are not only intended for football. Therefore, the tightness needs to be optimized in order to meet all standards to hold international events.

"This stadium is multifunctional, not only balls can also be athletics there, so we want 22 stadiums throughout Indonesia in the future, we make sure that all of these are technically optimized and also in terms of specifications. All we have to make sure that we have to meet all the standards needed in organizing national events, both standards from federations from international athletics, from international football federations, and other international federations, "explained Dito.

Regarding JIS, Dito said this stadium is very good and even has a appearance like in Europe. However, Dito assessed that JIS still had problems.

"JIS kita akui adalah stadion yang sangat baik, kita kalau masuk stadion saja itu seperti feel-nya sudah seperti kaya di Eropa. Tapi memang, kita harus berani mengakui ada catatan perbaikan dan kita perfectkan dalam rangka event internasional nanti dihadiri baik itu dari tamu negara asing, dan lokal. Ini memastikan tidak ada kendala-kendala," imbuhnya.