Loopholes in Entertainment Venue Oversight Following Drug Case...

The oversight of entertainment venues in Jakarta is once again under scrutiny following the raid on Karaoke B-Fashion and The Seven in West Jakarta, which were linked to alleged drug trafficking.

Amid the revocation of operating permits for the two venues, public policy experts are highlighting potential loopholes in the oversight of entertainment businesses, namely the practice of changing company names to allow the business to continue operating.

Public Policy Observer from Trisakti University, Trubus Rahadiansyah, said that local governments need to be aware of the possibility that entertainment venue operators are simply changing the company’s identity without actually changing the parties running the business.

This could allow entertainment venues that have had their permits revoked to resume operations with a new identity.

“If they just change their ‘clothes,’ will they operate again, and will a permit be issued again? That’s the issue. We need to know who the people are and what their connections are,” he said.

The Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Disparekraf) needs to thoroughly investigate the company’s ownership structure from the initial licensing process.

Trubus said that company ownership data can actually be tracked so that supervision of business actors can be carried out more strictly.

In addition, Trubus believes that supervision of entertainment venues should be carried out evenly to avoid the impression of selective enforcement.

“It must be done evenly so that it is not discriminatory,” he said.

The spotlight on the oversight of entertainment venues has returned after the raid on Karaoke B-Fashion and The Seven in West Jakarta, which were linked to alleged drug trafficking.

The Head of the Tourism Industry Section of the West Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Sub-Department, Gun Gun Mujiantara, confirmed the raid at Karaoke B-Fashion, Grogol Petamburan, West Jakarta.

However, according to management, the drugs found were not from the management.

“Yes, it’s true there was a raid. But management has assured us that the drugs did not come from management at all, there was no involvement. It came from guests from outside,” said Gun Gun when confirmed by telephone on Tuesday.