Indonesia cracks down on alcohol sales

JAKARTA: Indonesia on Thursday banned small retailers from selling beer. The ban restricts the sale of beer and pre-mixed drinks — such as spirits with soft drinks — to large supermarkets only, outlawing sales in the country’s 16,000 minimarts and 55,000 other small shops. Hotels, restaurants and bars are unaffected.
There had been particular anxiety about how the ban might affect tourism on the Hindu-majority resort island of Bali.
Convenience stores in the capital Jakarta began pulling booze from their shelves weeks ago in anticipation, replacing soft drinks.
The national ban is the latest sign that the country of 250 million people is pushing back against growing alcohol consumption, and comes the same week that Islamic parties in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation proposed a total ban on drinking.
The Trade Ministry said the decision was taken on health and moral grounds, as concerns grow that underage drinking is being fueled by wide availability in local neighborhoods.