"We have commenced this activity since the start of the Ramadan fasting period through daily inspection in all regions of Yogyakarta," Yogyakarta municipal Satpol PP head Agus Winarto noted here on Wednesday.
The agency head explained that the raid did not always involve confiscation of firecrackers but was also conducted by edifying the public of the dangers of firecrackers and the penalties for trading activity involving firecrackers.
"If we found someone selling firecrackers (during the raid), the officer will educate the person and inform them to cease their activity immediately," Winarto noted.
Despite the daily inspection, he admitted that some residents, particularly in local neighborhoods, still allowed their children to play with firecrackers.
"Usually, (the children use firecrackers) under their parents' monitoring. Fireworks and smaller firecrackers are the most common variant that they use," the agency head noted.
No residents were found to possess or burst large firecrackers during the daily inspections until now, he noted.
"There are no such findings from our inspections until now. We hope Yogyakarta would remain conducive and safe during the Eid al-Fitr days," Winarto remarked.
The agency head cautioned that firecrackers posed a danger, as some variants that are poorly made could explode and cause loss of material and life.
Winarto expressed hope that Yogyakarta's residents would learn from several past incidents that were caused by exploding firecrackers to strictly monitor the use of firecrackers in their neighborhoods and warn their children about the dangers of firecrackers.
Related news: Jakarta governor bans sale, burning of firecrackers during Ramadhan
Translator: Eka Arifa R, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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