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)