Batik Manufacturers Fined: Denpasar, Bali

In a world of growing free trade and globalisation it is always the smaller enterprises that are swallowed up and spat out. I admire these small businesses for producing some of the best products and all loving produced. But, it seems the Indonesian government thinks differently.

In the face of worsening pollution of Bali’s rivers and seas, local authorities have brought to court and heavily fined 23 cloth dyeing operations located along Denpasar’s river banks, promising that a further 185 companies are slated for a police crackdown in the near future.

The fines already imposed by Denpasar’s courts at an average Rp. 5 million (approximately US$544) per company are among the highest ever imposed on the small enterprises who dye batik and sarong cloth for sale to tourists in local shops.

Okay, so I am an environmentalist and abhor any form of pollution and companies that are hell bent on destroying this planet one way or another, but it would serve the community and the tourism industry better if only the government would assist these small producers of Batik.