Night Entertainment Business License in Jakarta as a Place of Narcotics Trafficking to be Permanently Withdrawn

The plenary meeting of the DKI Jakarta DPRD faction. (Diah-VOI)

JAKARTA - The DPRD together with the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is discussing the Regional Regulation Draft (Raperda) on the Facilitation of Prevention and Eradication of the Illegal Use and Illegal Trafficking of Narcotics and Narcotics Precursors (P4GN).

In the general meeting of the DKI Jakarta DPRD faction, it was proposed that there be a sanction of permanent revocation of business permits for nightclubs that have been proven to be a location for drug trafficking.

Deputy Chairman of the DKI Jakarta DPRD Ima Mahdiah called this step as part of the zero tolerance approach to the circulation of narcotics in Jakarta. According to him, nightclubs have long been a vulnerable point for the circulation of prohibited goods.

"Maybe it's one of the firm actions of zero tolerance that is definitely in the night entertainment place where a lot of narcotics happen, that's one of the goals, which we will support. (Sanctions for revoking permanent business licenses) will be included," said Ima at the DKI Jakarta DPRD building, Monday, January 19.

Ima said that the DPRD's support for this raperda was also motivated by the rampant cases of narcotics that occurred in the community to the lowest level. He assessed that the drug problem was no longer limited to certain circles, but had targeted various age groups.

"We support it because there are many RT/RW levels that have a lot of drug cases, whether it's adults to children," he said.

According to him, this draft regulation was initiated by the executive and received full support from the DKI Jakarta DPRD. He added, the increasing public complaints was one of the main reasons for the discussion of the regulation to be accelerated.

"So it was proposed by the executive and we DPRD also strongly support it because it is increasingly more public complaints related to narcotics, and we are also preparing Jakarta to become a Global City in the next two decades," said Ima.

In addition to regulating sanctions, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government also discussed the establishment of a special task force to handle narcotics issues. Ima said that the concept of the task force not only involved government elements, but also the community at the grassroots level.

"One of them was also discussed by the DKI Provincial Government, in addition to the Task Force, involving community leaders, RT/RW, that is closer to the community," explained Ima.

At the presentation of the general view, the PKS Faction encouraged the enforcement of the anti-narcotics law to be implemented without tolerance. One of them is a firm action for nightclubs in Jakarta. Considering that nightclubs have a high risk of illicit drug circulation.

Member of the PKS Faction of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Muhammad Hasan Abdullah, emphasized that Jakarta should not provide a stage for business entities that damage the nation's morality for the sake of unilateral profit.

"The PKS faction encourages strict administrative sanctions in the Regional Regulation in the form of permanent revocation of business permits for nightclubs that have been proven to be a location for the circulation of narcotics, without room for negotiation," said Hasan.