"Certain articles or the entire bylaws on alcoholic drinks can be cancelled if they are against Perpres No.74/2013," Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said.
Semarang, C Java (ANTARA News) - A number of bylaws banning alcoholic drinks have been scrapped as they run counter to Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 74/2013 on the Control and Supervision of Alcoholic Drinks, a minister said.

"Certain articles or the entire bylaws on alcoholic drinks can be cancelled if they are against Perpres No.74/2013," Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo announced here on Saturday.

The minister informed that regional governments can, in principle, regulate the production and distribution of alcoholic drinks but it should not run counter to the Perpres on the control and supervision of alcoholic drinks.

"If they are against (the Perpres), they (bylaws) will be evaluated and synchronized," the home affairs minister stated.

If the regional governments did not want the production and circulation of alcoholic drinks in their regions, they should not issue a production license and or permit distribution for shops, agents, malls, hotels etc.

The minister argued that if a regional government did not issue a license but finds that alcoholic drinks were circulating in its area, it means the product must be illegal and the regional government should raid such places.

"We found that many regional governments had banned hard drinks but continued to issue licenses for circulation of alcoholic drinks. This was an inconsistency," the minister pointed out.

Earlier, the home affairs minister had stated that all regions must issue bylaws that ban alcoholic drinks since circulation of such drinks endangered the health of the people, particularly the younger generation.

The bylaws should, in principle, be implemented consistently in all regions as hard drinks trigger serious crimes.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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