Indonesia Bans Booze Sales At Minimarts

[Pdoggg]

It's now not as easy to buy Bintang in this moderate Islamic country.

 

 

 

In a move that several senior city officials say could hurt tourism, Indonesia on Thursday officially banned the sale of alcoholic beverages in convenience stores and other small shops, The Jakarta Globe reported.

 

The Trade Ministry’s regulation, which took effect on Thursday, revoked the license of convenience stores and other small shops to sell alcohol. Only restaurants, hotels and large retailers are allowed to sell beer, wines, spirits and the like.

 

Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said after the Trade Ministry’s regulation took effect that city officials would follow the rules.

 

However, he said he was concerned the ban could encourage the illegal sale of alcoholic beverages in the city.

 

The city’s deputy governor, Djarot Saiful Hidayat, also said he was hoping the ban would not scare away foreigners.

 

Djarot said the ban on sale of alcohol by convenience stores did not mean alcohol would not be available at all in Indonesia, as the hospitality industry and larger supermarkets across the country would not be affected. Some areas in Indonesia do already ban alcohol consumption, such as Aceh, but this is based on regional bylaws, not national regulations.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/indonesia-bans-sale-of-alcohol-at-minimarts

[EyeMahk]

There was also a bill introduced to ban alcohol in the entire country. 

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-14/indonesian-parties-propose-bill-to-ban-alcohol-consumption/6391952

 

The article says .... in 2014, only 2.2 per cent of Indonesians over the age of 20 had consumed alcohol in the previous 12 months

 

So almost no locals drink, but tourists do, and in places like Bali (which is not Muslim), tourism would grind to a halt if such a law was passed and enforced.

[Pdoggg]

So almost no locals drink, but tourists do, and in places like Bali (which is not Muslim), tourism would grind to a halt if such a law was passed and enforced.

 

Bali and perhaps other tourism areas are now exempt from the new rules.

 

 

 

A new regulation issued by Indonesia’s Trade Ministry to ban sales of alcoholic beverages at convenience stores, which took effect on Thursday, will not be enforced on Bali as the ministry has decided that tourism areas would be exempted from the ban, The Jakarta Post reported.

 

On Thursday minimarkets, small vendors and beachside beverage vendors across the country were to stop selling beer. Bali administrations, retail associations and vendors had expressed opposition against the beer ban.

 

Sinar Pohan, a ministry official on legal affairs, said Thursday that a ministerial guideline for the ban stipulated that regents and mayors could designate certain places as areas for selling alcoholic beverages for direct consumption by considering the local customs.

The guideline stipulated that the type of alcoholic beverages that could be sold in tourism areas were only those with an alcohol content of 1 to 5 percent, type A alcoholic beverages.

 

“The alcoholic beverages are only to be sold in tourism areas to foreign and domestic tourists older than 21 years of age, which should be proven with an identity card,” he said.

 

The guideline was made in response to the strong opposition from Bali over the ministry’s new regulation, which stipulated beverages with an alcohol content of 1 to 5 percent could only be sold in supermarkets and hypermarkets.  

 

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bali-tourist-areas-exempt-from-beer-ban