Court Reminded, Banjarmasin Removes Money Fines For Prokes Violators

JAKARTA - Mayor of Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan H Ibnu Sina stated that he issued a policy of removing cash fines for violators of the COVID-19 health protocol.

He said, Mayor Regulation (Perwali) Number 68 of 2020 concerning the Implementation of Discipline and Law Enforcement of Health Protocols as an Effort for Prevention and Control of COVID-19, is currently not accompanied by fines.

"I have issued the policy, for the temporary fines for the health insurance are not applied first, but the other sanctions remain," said Ibnu Sina in an official statement received in Banjarmasin, reported by Antara, Tuesday, August 10.

According to him, for prokes violators, such as not wearing masks to crowds, other sanctions are imposed, namely verbal or written reprimands to social work sanctions.

"At PPKM level 4 which took place two weeks ago, no less than 1,500 people were caught violating the prokes, nine violators of whom were subject to a cash fine, but in the future it will be eliminated first," he said.

Ibnu Sina conveyed the policy based on the advice of the Banjarmasin District Court. "According to the court, sanctions in the form of administrative or fines should be regulated in regional regulations (Perda), not Perwali," he said.

"Earlier, the chairman of the Banjarmasin DPRD said the council would review the possibility if it had to be done, we'll just have to wait for further developments," said Ibnu Sina.

However, currently the enforcement of the COVID-19 health protocol has returned to the right path, where for the application of fines it must be regulated in law or at least a Regional Regulation, not a Perwali.

The Central Government on Monday night, August 10, decided that Banjarmasin would be included as a city outside Java and Bali, followed by the implementation of Level 4 Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) for the third time, until August 16, 2021.