Proposed liquor amendment bill slammed
Bar owners and liquor traders criticized proposed provincial liquor amendment regulations at a public participation meeting, held at a city hotel on Friday February 2.
The meeting was held by the provincial Department of Community Safety, which oversees the Liquor Authority in the Western Cape.
The saturation of liquor licences in a particular area, regulation of unlicensed establishments, correct documentation to open an establishment and deadlines within the Liquor Authority were some of the issues raised at the meeting.
The public has until Tuesday February 28 to comment on the amendments, and various public meetings have been held throughout the city to explain the amendments and give people a chance to have their concerns addressed by members of the Liquor Authority and the Liquor Tribunal.
The provincial liquor regulation amendments are not to be confused with the proposed national liquor act amendments, which are simultaneously going through public participation, also until February 28.
Community Safety MEC Dan Plato said that while the national proposed liquor act dealt with regulating the liquor industry and the sale of liquor on a large scale, the provincial proposed bill dealt with regulating the Western Cape's own liquor industry issues.
"We are increasing prices and tightening some of the regulations and addressing the issues that we have in the province. We have some with the national proposed act, such as raising the legal age group to 21 years old as opposed to 18 years old, and he fact that they propose that no liquor establishments be opened 500m away from a place of worship, a school, rehabilitation and treatment centres and recreational centres. This will have a dire impact on the liquor industry in our communities and townships, and we will engage extensively with the national government about this."
Some of the other amendments highlighted in the proposed national liquor act prohibits liquor advertising on radio and TV between 6am and 7pm daily and a ban on billboard advertising being placed less than 100 meters away from street corners and traffic junctions.
The current act prohibits liquor adverts from 2pm to 5pm on weekdays and before noon on weekends on TV, and radio restrictions are 6am to 9am and 2pm to 5pm on weekdays, and no adverts before noon on weekends.
ANOTHER major change will see liquor inspectors given more power to regulate unlicensed establishments. The Liquor Authority only deals with licensed liquor outlets, and, up to now, unlicensed premises have been dealt with by SAPS.
The Liquor Authority only has eight liquor inspectors operating in the Western Cape.
