April 16, 2015, was a dark day for beer drinkers in Indonesia. That is the day that a law, issued by former Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel, banning the sale of beer in mini-markets across Indonesia went into effect. Rachmat said the law was supposed to help save Indonesian youth from the scourge of alcohol, despite the fact that beer already couldn’t legally be sold to those under 18. The months after saw in increase in demand for dangerous, illegal alcohol.
But despite the dark clouds and heavy rain currently hanging over Jakarta, this is a bright day for beer drinkers. Today, Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama confirmed that the trade ministry’s mini-market beer ban has been revised and that the capital’s previous regulations on alcohol sales, passed in 2007, was once again in effect.
Meaning mini-markets can once again legally start selling beer.
“Yes, at that time the Ministry of Trade issued a bylaw contrary to existing regulations. Then the Ministry of Commerce also revised the bylaw. So now Jakarta is back to the old regulation,” Ahok said today as quoted by Tribunnews.
But Ahok emphasized that even though beer could once again be sold in minimarkets, the sale of beer to anybody under 18 had to be strictly controlled.
“Yeah, that’s why it is important to control [sales to underage customers]. Just follow the regulations, that is my principle. So if the City Council does not agree and they scream that the regulation must be revised, know that the regulation was not made by me, it is not from my [time in office],” he said.
We’re not sure yet how quickly retailers will react to news of the mini-market beer ban being overturned, but since it severely hurt beer producers we are guessing that they will be eager to get their products back into convenience stores across the capital.
There are still a lot of signs that alcohol drinkers may have a tough time in Indonesia in the near future. Surabaya recently banned alcohol and Papua is preparing to do so as well. A national bill on alcohol prohibition is also still under discussion.
But today, we will raise our bottles of beer in celebration of this small victory for drinkers’ rights. Cheers!
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