The implementation of the recently-approved bylaw banning smoking in public places seems to have failed, Surabaya Mayor Bambang Dwi Hartono admitted on Wednesday.
"I still see many people smoking on public transportation vehicles in which many women and children passengers were there," Bambang said at the inauguration of two smoking rooms in the municipal building.
The smoking rooms, equipped with air purifiers worth Rp 40 million (US$3,300) each were donated by cigarette maker PT HM in an effort to support the implementation of the bylaw.
Bambang said that although the bylaw had been approved by the Surabaya Legislative Council in October last year, many people continue to smoke in malls and other public spaces.
He said many government offices, malls and other public buildings have not been equipped with smoking rooms although the bylaw required the management of the buildings to provide the smoking rooms or face fines of Rp 50 million, or a three-month jail sentence.
"We will allocate funds from the budget to build smoking rooms in the offices and spaces belonging to the administration," he said.
Meanwhile, head of the municipality's legal agency Suharto Wardoyo claimed that the bylaw was still being disseminated among people; saying that it would be implemented next month, after the mayors signs it.
But head of the municipality's planning agency, Tri Risma Harini, made statements seemingly contradictory to the spirit of the bylaw, saying that the administration would subsidize small-scale cigarette makers.
"The assistance fund aims to help the small scale cigarette industry which absorbed many workers and improves the welfare of tobacco farmers in Madura," Risma said.
She said the fund was taken from excise tax sharing given by the central government." The fund also donated to patients suffering from smoking-related illnesses at Dr. Soewandi general hospital in Surabaya."
Meanwhile, the management of Surabaya's Plaza Hotel imposed regulations last month that will see those who are found smoking in the hotel fined Rp 1 million.
"Not only guests and visitors, but our staff will be fined if they are found smoking in the hotel," the hotel's general manager Yushak Ansori said, adding that the smoking ban would not reduce the hotel's income.
