'Crack down on illegal alcohol outlets'

'Crack down on illegal alcohol outlets'

The city administration recently issued a circular banning the
sale of liquor in supermarkets and hypermarkets. The Jakarta Post
spoke with people here for their thoughts on the policy.

Ciba, 30, works for a telecommunications company in Mega
Kuningan, South Jakarta. He lives in South Jakarta.

It really depends on the administration's intention. If it
wants to limit the distribution of alcoholic beverages then
banning supermarkets and hypermarkets from selling liquor will be
quite effective, provided of course that regular monitoring is
done.

I am Muslim, so for me the regulation is great, but I wonder
about other people who are not Muslim, such as expatriates, who
are used to drinking regularly. I guess this is unfair to them.

It would be better if the sale of alcoholic beverages was
restricted to certain ages and religions. After all, isn't it
simpler to check a person's identity card to determine their age
and religion rather than banning liquor outright.

Alex Suban, 33, is a photographer for a local evening
newspaper in East Jakarta. He lives in Bintaro, South Jakarta.

I think it is enough to put an age restriction on the purchase
of alcoholic beverages. There is really no need for an outright
ban on the sale of liquor in supermarkets.

If people really want to get drunk, they don't need to get
their liquor at a supermarket; it's much cheaper to buy from
illegal shops. Now, why doesn't the administration regulate those
instead?

I would say the administration is killing one of its sources
of income, which is companies that sell liquor. Why not just tax
it so high that only certain people can afford to buy liquor?

--The Jakarta Post