Arbamass denies levy collecting

Arbamass denies levy collecting

JAKARTA (JP): PT Arbamass Multi Invesco denies that it used
alcohol-content stickers to collect more taxes from brewers and
refutes claims that it monopolizes the beer business on the
tourist island of Bali.

"We're not selling stickers and we're not collecting taxes. We
only sell alcoholic drinks with stickers," the company's
president, Emir Baramuli, told the press after meeting with
Director General of Domestic Trading Djoko Moeljono.

According to Emir, Arbamass buys beer, pays levies to the Bali
administration and then sells it there.

"There was no consumer on the island protesting our business."
Our company does no harm to brewers as we always buy the
alcoholic drinks at whatever prices producers offer, he said.

He continued, saying that the statement made by the
Association of Indonesian Beer Producers was contradictory to
what Arbamass was doing.

"Calling Arbamass a tax collector, a sticker trader and a
monopoly holder on the Bali market is slander and Arbamass can
sue those who defame its image," he said.

Asked about the possibility of allowing two beer suppliers in
Bali, he said that one supplier is enough and that Arbamass is
capable.

"Arbamass has the capability to be a supplier there as long as
the beer producers don't make any trouble," he said.

Meanwhile, Director General Djoko Moeljono refused to
elaborate on the results of an inter-ministerial meeting on the
sales of alcohol in Bali, other than the problem was discussed.
Bali.

"I will first report the meeting's results to Minister of
Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo," he said. (13)