Nile Breweries Limited has rejected the proposal to limit time within which alcohol is sold in Uganda.
The company has instead proposed to have bars start selling alcohol from midday and have no closure time.
The proposal was made by Emmanuel Njuki, Head Legal and Corporate Affairs for Nile Breweries.
This was during when the team from Nile Breweries appeared before the Parliament’s Health Committee, that is currently scrutinizing the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2023.
“Legal alcohol should remain available in Uganda from midday in bars and no closing hours while distributors and supermarkets should be open at 8am to allow for dispatch of stock upcountry. Limited time may not necessarily translate into people drinking less and thus might be redundant. If at all, this could have the unintended consequence of increased home consumption,” explained Emmanuel Njuki.
Njuki wondered whether the movers of the Bill want nightclubs to open and sell soda to its customers.
“The clause anticipates night clubs will be open to sell soft drinks and music while restricting the sale of liquor after 10Pm. The night economy drives the Ugandan economy therefore, a law that impacts the night economy negatively impacts the economy of the country,” added Njuki.
