Regional autonomy for liquor distribution

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. issued yesterday a decree which strives to give provincial and regional administrations greater autonomy on the control of liquor sales and distribution.

Director General for Public Administration and Regional Autonomy Oman Sachroni announced yesterday the issuance of the Supervision and Control of Liquor Sales and Distribution Decree, and said that local administrations are to manage the sales and distribution of alcoholic beverages.

Provincial administrations are to issue decrees to regulate prohibition, supervision and control of liquor distribution, while the regency administrations or municipalities are to control places where alcoholic beverages can be sold.

The provincial and regency administrations' decrees are basically to prohibit the distribution or sale of alcoholic beverages in places other than hotels, bars or other designated places, Oman said.

"Regional administrations may ban sales and distribution of alcohol if the majority of their population are against it," Oman said.

With the new ministerial instruction, liquor cannot be sold at places which are close to houses of worship, schools and hospitals, Oman said.

He said the ministerial decree also bans regional administrations from imposing taxes, levies and other retribution on liquor sales. "They may only impose tax on liquor retailers," he said.

Asked about control for the production and sale of traditional alcoholic beverages, Oman said it will be ruled further in a separated and specific regional decree, according to each region's tradition.

The ministerial instruction for governors and regents, or mayors, is a follow-up of Presidential Decree Number 3/1997 on supervision and control of alcoholic beverages.

Oman added that the places allowed to sell liquor should be decided in accordance with existing regulations, such as those issued by the Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications.

The sale of alcohol in Indonesia, the world's largest Islamic country, is legal. However, it is the understanding of many Moslems that alcohol is haram (religiously prohibited) and that regulating its distribution is the same as condoning its consumption.

The controversy over the liquor decree began in September, after the Jakarta Legislative Council passed a bill on alcoholic beverages which rules the imposition of new fees on alcohol distribution.

The Jakarta City Council passed the decree in September to replace a previous decree, which was considered weak for controlling alcohol distribution.

The old decree only imposed a tax on liquor retailers, while the new one would also impose a distribution fee and stipulates a liquor distribution quota in the city. (imn)