New liquor law could cause poverty The Liquor Amendment Bill of 2016 could negatively affect the livelihoods of those who depend on selling alcohol for an income.Motivating the report of the standing committee on public hearings on the Bill in the National Council (NC) on Tuesday, committee chairperson Peter Kazongominja said it could result in serious job losses and investments.
The public hearings in all 14 regions from 16 to 29 September were confined to local authorities and a total of 460 people attended.
Kazongominja said many Namibian households depended on the sale of alcohol to make ends meet and finance children’s education.
“Shebeens have been a source of income that alleviated poverty and assisted with education of many poor children,” the report states.
The public hearings noted that home brewed liquor posed a real problem, as some breathalysers did not detect the alcohol content of these concoctions, while the percentage of alcohol was not controlled.
Some participants at the public hearings suggested that government control the sale of traditional liquor. Others advocated for a limitation to the number of shebeens owned by one person in an area, and said it should be determined by the number of inhabitants.
The report recommended that the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development give a grace period of no less than two years for the relocation of all affected shebeens in residential areas including those in close proximity to churches, safety homes, old age homes, schools and hospitals.
The Amendment Bill was passed in the NC and referred to the committee on 1 August 2016 for review, scrutiny and consultation with relevant stakeholders.
The Bill will, among others, amend the Liquor Act of 1998 so as to provide for the issuing of licences to establishments within a prescribed distance of certain areas and the inclusion of residential premises and hospitals as an additional factor to be taken into account when considering a licence application.
It also seeks to provide for the regulation of the selling of alcohol in retail outlets linked to fuel service stations outside prescribed hours.
NAMPA