No new permits for discotheques: City official

No new permits for discotheques: City official

JAKARTA (JP): The municipality announced it will not issue new
permits for discotheques for an indefinite period, given several
violations of permits discovered during a number of raids.

Kusaeni Budiantoro, the head of the city's public order
office, admitted that the decision against issuing permits for
new discotheques was spurred by the discovery of drugs,
particularly Ecstasy, in several recent raids.

Last week, the results of an autopsy on a 26-year-old girl
found dead in a West Jakarta discotheque raised preliminary
findings of an overdose on barbiturate pills.

Other violations of the permits, issued for entertainment
provision, were prostitution and gambling activities, he said
yesterday.

However, Kusaeni said that public order officials can
effectively exercise their authority only when violations of
opening hours are found.

"We have difficulty taking action at places where Ecstasy was
reportedly found, as the police do not immediately report their
findings to us," Kusaeni said.

Other public order officials have also said the threat to
close down discotheques after three subsequent violations is
difficult to carry out.

The violations of opening hours, occurring between 2 a.m. to 7
a.m., indicate an "unhealthy competition" between discotheques,
Kusaeni said.

"The competition to attract clients means there are enough
discotheques across the city," Kusaeni said of the 100 sites
here.

"So we have decided not to add new venues," he said.

Last Friday, Deputy Governor for Social Welfare R.S. Museno
disclosed the administration will not issue operational permits
for new nightspots in Central, South and North Jakarta. The three
mayoralties are plotted for residential areas, not for such
establishments, he said

Entertainment

Kusaeni said yesterday that his office has also involved 60
discotheque owners and managers in an effort to keep their
establishments free of activities other than entertainment.

"We have encouraged disco owners to form an association,"
Kuseani said.

The involvement of owners is aimed at reducing unhealthy
competition.

"Owners who have been told to close down after 2 a.m. will
report others who are violating the official hours to us," he
said.

The involvement of owners and managers also serves as a check
against the possibility of officials taking bribes, Kusaeni said.

"I admit some of my officials are naughty," he said.

"I just avoid employing the same group of officials in raids."

However, because of the limited number of personnel -- about
100 officials -- in a few weeks, the same officials would be
deployed again, he said.

The officials involved in the raids are from police
headquarters and the tourism agency.

The public, particularly discotheque owners and managers, can
also contact Kusaeni at his home to report suspected violations,
he said.

Meanwhile Idroes, the deputy governor for governmental
affairs, also reiterated that continued action should be taken
against discotheques which violate their permits.

"We have issued permits for them to serve as healthy
entertainment sites only," he said. (anr)