bali officials raise concerns over alcohol ban in bali

Category : Adventure | Posted On Nov 16, 2020

The ban on alcohol was once again reinitiated at the House Legislation Body (Baleg) to have the Bill on the Prohibition of Alcoholic Drinks (RUU Larangan Minol) passed into law by the twenty one law makers belonging to staunchly conservative Islamic parties. The members are from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and National Development Party (PPP), as well as one from Gerindra Party respectively. This bill has been seen controversial and is stalled since 2015 in the parliament when it was raised by the same group of parties.

Just like in the past, the harm that will be caused by this conservative law is again being argued especially at the popular destinations such as Bali.

It has been considered "too shallow" according to AA Ngurah Adi Ardhana, who is a member of the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) in Bali.

“If we are to take a look at the bill it doesn’t look at the practices on the field and merely took into account the wishes of a select few, so it is very unfair to members of the public who are traditionally and culturally accepting of alcoholic beverages, which is also something guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution,” Ngurah said.

Ngurah's remarks are based on the officially recognized six religions in Bali 5 out of which do not prohibit alcohol consumption specifically, specially Hinduism which is the majority in Bali.

Major uproar is being heard over the damage it will cause to the economy if such bill is passed. It will not only affect the economy but at the same it will have a disastrous impact on the tourism industry which is the backbone of Islands like Bali. As a draft of this law recommends prison up to two years if caught drinking.

Nyoman Sugawa Korry, Deputy Chairman of DPRD Bali, said the bill could negatively impact businesses and increase unemployment.

“With Bali as a tourist destination, the need and consumption of alcoholic beverages are not something you can avoid. The bill must not inflict harm on regions that are dependent on tourism,” Sugawa said.