Banten governor fumes over smoking ban at airport
Banten governor fumes over smoking ban at airport
Multa Fidrus, The JakartaPost, Tangerang
Smoking bans may be for the good of all, but Banten Governor
Djoko Munnandar is none too happy that no one asked him before
plans were made for a smoke-free Soekarno-Hatta International
Airport.
Munnandar said on Thursday that he would complain in writing
to the Jakarta administration over the planned smoking ban at
Soekarno-Hatta International airport, which is under the
authority of Banten administration.
"The city (Jakarta) administration never invited us to talk
about the smoking ban and this means that it does not respect
administrative regions as stipulated in Law No. 23/2000 on the
formation of Banten province," Munandar said during a visit to
Tangerang on Thursday.
The City Council endorsed on Feb. 4 a bylaw that bans smoking
in enclosed public places as part of its clean air campaign.
Although the bylaw takes effect one year after its endorsement
and applies only in Jakarta, airport authorities have already
taken steps to set up enclosed smoking areas in the airport.
Studies have ranked Jakarta's air quality as the third-worst
in the world after Mexico and Bangkok.
"It is legally wrong if the city administration bans smoking
in enclosed public places at the airport without discussing the
issue with the West Java provincial administration," Munandar
said.
He said he had ordered officials of the Banten provincial
administration's law department to study the city bylaw.
The governor asked Banten people to refrain from heated debate
over the bylaw as there were many other things that required
their attention.
The bylaw criminalizes smoking inside public places and
punishes violators with six months' imprisonment and/or a fine of
Rp 50 million (US$5,555).
Sutiyoso said earlier that the bylaw, which has earned praise
from antismoking and environmental activists, is an important
antipollution measure.
According to the new bylaw, smoking is banned in, among other
places, buses, trains and airplanes, malls, restaurants and
hotels.