T

he controversial alcohol prohibition bill may have been seldom heard about lately, but the political will remains strong to pass it into law within the current sitting period, which will end in late July.

The House of Representatives has laid out an active meeting schedule, with meetings to be held two to three times a week from now until the end of July to ensure that the bill is passed in the July 28 plenary session.

A closed-door meeting last week between lawmakers and the government also agreed to move directly to discussing the bill’s substance and skip discussions about its title.

If passed, the law will be the first to impose a full nationwide ban on the production, distribution and consumption of drinks with an alcohol content of 1 to 55 percent.

“The title will be deliberated later to speed up the process,” said leader of a House special committee for the alcohol prohibition bill, Mohammad Arwani Thomafi, a lawmaker from the United Development Party (PPP) which, together with fellow Islam-oriented party the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), has sponsored the bill.

The bill, a top priority for lawmakers as indicated by its inclusion in the 2016 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), has been put back on the table after all 10 party factions agreed last year to continue deliberating it.

“A lot of problems have occurred in several regions because of alcohol,” said Nur Rahmat, a Golkar party politician who is also a member of the House’s special committee on the alcohol prohibition bill.

Legislators who support the bill have argued that Indonesia needs a stronger legal basis to control the production and consumption of alcohol, although dozens of regions in the country have already instituted their own alcohol prohibition bylaws, including South Tangerang in Banten, Makassar, Maros, Bulukumba and Enrekang in South Sulawesi and Papua province.

But the voice in the House is not yet unanimous. Some parties want a blanket ban on the production, distribution and consumption of alcoholic beverages, while others want a softer bill that would only “control and supervise” alcohol.

The PPP, PKS and National Mandate Party (PAN) factions have agreed to call the draft the “Alcohol Prohibition Law” while the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Gerindra factions insist on calling it the “Alcohol Control and Supervision Law”, in line with the government’s proposal.

The Democratic and Golkar factions, in the meantime, took a more neutral stance by proposing the title “Alcohol Law”. Other party factions have not submitted a name.

“We are proposing a neutral title so that the bill’s deliberation can be completed soon,” said Nur, adding that prohibition, control and supervision could all be incorporated into the bill despite its neutral title.

The debate on the scope of the proposed prohibition is likely to end up at some sort of compromise, committee leader Arwani previously said. “It is likely that the bill will allow the production of [alcoholic beverages] with very detailed limitations,” he added.

But lawmakers do agree on the main points of the bill to be deliberated, which cover: title, alcoholic beverage classification, prohibition, control, supervision, public involvement and criminal charges.

They are also considering expanding the bill to cover drinks with an alcohol content of below 1 percent and above 55 percent, which are excluded in the existing draft, said committee leader Arwani.

The bill, reminiscent of the US’ prohibition efforts of the 1920s, has sparked widespread debate, including protests from alcoholic beverage producers, tourist industry players and local community leaders, who argue that prohibition would kill the alcoholic beverage industry.

Even the Industry Ministry, which has joined the deliberation process, argued that a blanket ban on alcoholic drinks would only worsen the situation, as people would try to make their own liquor using dangerous ingredients such as methanol.

“If we want to ban something, we need to think comprehensively and handle the consequences,” said Willem Petrus Riwu, the ministry’s director for the beverage industry, tobacco and refreshment products.

Publicly listed beer producer PT Delta Djakarta, the local producer of major beer brands including Anker, Carlsberg and San Miguel, expressed anxiety over the anticipated approval of the bill.

PT Multi Bintang Indonesia, the country’s largest brewery, has put a break on expansion plans worth around Rp 635 billion (US$47.63 million).
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