PONTIANAK, thekabarnews.com—A senior Pontianak legislator has called on the Pontianak city administration and law enforcement agencies to strengthen inspections of businesses selling alcoholic beverages. This follows residents’ concerns about the growing number of so-called “beer houses” in the West Kalimantan capital.

Some residents allege that certain venues operate as coffee shops during the day before selling alcohol at night. No specific business was named, and the allegations have not been confirmed through publicly disclosed inspection findings.

Pontianak City Council Deputy Speaker Bebby Nailufa said authorities should investigate whether the venues comply with local licensing. They should check sales and operating-hour requirements.

“The circulation of liquor in Pontianak requires serious attention. If a hangout operates as a coffee shop during the day but sells alcohol at night, authorities must treat it seriously,” Bebby told TKP Pontianak on Thursday, August 6.

“This could lead to social problems, disrupt public order, and contribute to crime and health issues. It could even cause traffic accidents after people drink,” she added.

Pontianak Regional Regulation No. 2/2023 strictly controls where businesses may distribute and sell alcoholic beverages.

The regulation classifies alcohol as a controlled product and divides beverages into three categories based on alcohol content.

Under the regulation supermarkets and hypermarkets may sell Category A beverages containing up to 5% alcohol if they hold the required documentation.

Businesses may offer alcoholic drinks for immediate consumption only at restaurants or bars located within three-, four-, or five-star hotels. Permitted on-site sales hours run from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The regulation expressly prohibits alcohol sales at stalls, kiosks, cafés, minimarkets, karaoke venues, billiard halls and restaurants or bars outside qualifying hotels.

It also prohibits sales to anyone under 21 and restricts sales within 100 meters of schools, places of worship and hospitals. There is a limited exception for qualifying hotel facilities.

Violations of the location and sales provisions can result in up to three months’ imprisonment or a maximum fine of Rp50 million, according to the Pontianak City Administration’s legal database.

Bebby said inspections should cover both suspected illegal sellers and businesses that already hold permits. Licensed venues, she argued, must remain accountable for following the conditions attached to their permits.

“The focus should not only be on consumption but also on preventing illegal distribution. The Pontianak City administration and law enforcement agencies must strengthen their supervision of the distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages in accordance with the applicable regulations,” she said.

“Authorities must take firm action against illegal operators, while oversight of licensed venues must be conducted transparently,” she added.

Pontianak’s regulation assigns oversight responsibilities to municipal agencies handling trade, tourism, licensing and public order.

It also authorizes residents and community organizations to report suspected illegal alcohol distribution.

Bebby’s concerns reflect broader public health and road-safety risks. The World Health Organization says alcohol contributed to approximately 2.6 million deaths worldwide in 2019.

That figure included 700,000 deaths from injuries. Meanwhile, alcohol-related road crashes caused an estimated 298,000 deaths, according to the WHO alcohol fact sheet.

The council’s request now puts pressure on municipal regulators to verify the public complaints and inspect business permits. They must publish enforcement results without presuming that any unnamed venue has violated the law.