Players in the value chain have warned government that passing the proposed Alcohol Drinks Control Bill championed by Tororo Woman MP ,Sarah Opendi in its current state will spell doom.
Speaking during a meeting with the State Minister for Investment, Evelyn Anite and her trade counterpart, David Bahati, the players said the sector provides employment to many people and the bill threatens to stop it.
“The entire value chain creates more than four million jobs right from those who work in the factories, the transporters, those who work at bars and the farmers who supply the millet, barley and everything used in the manufacture of these alcohol drinks. These will lose their jobs if this bill is passed into law,” said Jackie Tahakanizibwa, the secretary general for the Uganda Alcohol Industry Association (UAIA), the umbrella body for alcoholic beverages players in the country.
“The bill proposes a reduction in the hours for selling beer to ensure it is sold between 5pm and 10pm during working days and between mid-day and midnight on weekends but reducing these hours means reducing on people’s incomes. This will greatly affect the taxes this sector pays,” Tahakanizibwa said during the meeting.
The players in the sector informed ministers Evelyn Anite and David Bahati that the proposed law excludes unregulated alcohol which contributes to 65% of the total alcohol sold on the Ugandan market.
The UAIA chairman, Onapito Ekomoloit said thee is no situation currenly to warrant a new alcohol regulation.
“ This proposed law will make people start consuming alcohol from their homes and beds which is dangerous. The abuse of alcohol will go up just like it was during the Covid lockdown.There are many people who consume beer and proceed to work and do it effectively. Some people work at night, will this mean they will not take beer at all? What needs to be done is sensitizing people on safe and responsible drinking but not controlling how people drink.”
Singer Daniel Kazibwe also known as Raga Dee said beer creates employment for artists and that regulating it will render many unemployed.
“If you reduce on hours of sale for alcohol, you are reducing on the hours of work for DJs, waiters, waitresses and barmen who depend on alcohol. People go to the bars not for the sake but go there to enjoy music while drinking. They also eat as they drink. This directly impacts the farmer who rears chicken, one who grows irish potatoes in Kabale and the trader in Kikuubo who sells cooking oil. This proposed bill will have them affected,” Kazibwe said.
The ministers said the views of the alcohol sector players will be tabled before cabinet, adding that they will also be invited by parliament to put their views across.
