Don't Lose to Imported Whiskey-Brandy, Governor Koster Urges Bali Liquor to Be Multiplied in Airport Showcase

BALI - Bali Governor Wayan Koster asked that local Bali liquor products be increased at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport outlets, especially in the international duty free terminal area.

Koster conveyed this request to Angkasa Pura as the airport manager when he directly reviewed the International Terminal of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport.

He assessed that the airport's showcase was still dominated by imported alcoholic beverages, such as whiskey and brandy, while Bali's signature products had not yet received adequate space.

"We ask that it can be multiplied so that there is not only whiskey, brandy, and others, especially in the duty free area," said Koster as quoted from a statement received in Denpasar, Antara, Monday, February 9.

According to Koster, the presence of Bali liquor at airport outlets is important as part of the promotion of UMKM products as well as efforts to preserve Bali's cultural heritage.

With more and more foreign tourists getting to know Bali's liquor, the sustainability of traditional production is expected to continue to be maintained.

He emphasized that the Bali Provincial Government wants to manage Bali liquor comprehensively from upstream to downstream, starting from farmers, production processes, to marketing, while still referring to applicable regulations. This effort, he said, must be in favor of traditional liquor craftsmen and have a direct impact on improving the local community's economy.

Koster also conveyed the commitment of the Bali Provincial Government to protect Bali liquor and improve its quality standards so that it can compete with imported alcoholic beverages.

He said that in the past year, Bali alcohol products have actually been traded at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport outlet, but the number and space of the display are still limited.

Therefore, the Bali Provincial Government encourages Bali liquor to have a special showcase that displays traditional fermented and distilled beverages from Bali. With one special showcase, Bali liquor products are believed to be increasingly known internationally.

"We introduce it to the international community in one showcase. Later it will be managed by the Bali alcohol association, not individuals or companies," said Koster.

The management of the showcase is planned to involve the Bali Alcoholic Beverages Tresnaning Association, which oversees 58 official Bali alcoholic trademarks. This association is expected to ensure that all products are accommodated and traded fairly at airport outlets.

In addition, the Governor of Bali also asked the airport management to ensure that all Bali alcoholic products displayed use the Bali alphabet and comply with production rules. He highlighted that there are still packages that have not included the Bali alphabet according to regulations.

Bali's own alcoholic products are regulated in Bali Governor Regulation Number 1 of 2020 concerning the Governance of Traditional Fermented and/or Distilled Beverages of Bali, which regulates alcohol, beer, and tuak as a new economic force based on local wisdom.

"Even if there are Balinya characters, they are still small and do not comply with the rules. Therefore, I ask the General Manager of Angkasa Pura and Disperindag to jointly regulate it," said Koster.