Committee Votes to Ban Liquor Sales in Surabaya

Surabaya (Antara Jatim) - The Surabaya city legislative council's special committee for draft liquor bylaws has banned the sale of liquor in the East Java provincial capital.

"All locations, including discotheques, bars, hotels and other amusement centers, are banned (from selling it)," chief of the special committee Edi Rachmat said, following a meeting of commission B of the city legislative council here on Thursday.

The decision was taken in a vote following heated deliberations. Some members of the committee suggested that the ban only apply to hypermarkets and supermarkets, while others insisted on banning all locations from selling liquor.

Six members of the committee, including Edi Rachmat of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), National Democratic Party (Nasdem) and the United Development Party (PPP) faction,  Mazlan Mansur of the Nation Awakening Party (PKB) faction, Rio Pattisilano of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) faction, Ahmad Zakaria of the Prosperous Justice Party  (PKS) faction, Saiful Aidi of the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction and Binti Rohmah of the Golkar Party faction, favored the complete halt to the sale of liquor in all locations.

Meanwhile, the other four members, including  Baktiono, Didik Adiono, and Erwin Tjahyuadi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle  (PDIP) faction, along with Dini Riyanti of the Democrat Party faction, were in favor of the sale of liquor in certain locations, including hotels, bars and restaurants.

Edi Rachmat said his faction agreed to ban all locations from selling liquor since all sides, including mass organizations, also ban such sales.

"The result of public hearings confirmed that Surabaya must be free from alcoholic drink, so we must follow suit," he said.

Bantiono noted that his faction did not want to see mini-markets and hypermarkets selling liquor.

He also said the total ban on liquor sale in Surabaya is not possible, arguing that Surabaya is a metropolitan city which has many hotels and amusement centers. (*)