Regional autonomy for liquor distribution

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)