'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