Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament, Betty Nambooze has finalized with the preparations of the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2016 which is set to be tabled before the house in the near future.
While meeting the members of Uganda Alcohol Policy Alliance (UAPA) at Parliament on Thursday, the legislator revealed that the objective of the Bill is to regulate the manufacture, advertisement, sell, supply and consumption of alcoholic drinks, licensing of persons and premises on which alcoholic drinks are sold.
The bill is intended to replace the existing legislation on the manufacture, sell, supply, consumption and licensing of alcoholic drinks.
“Due to the passage of time, some aspects of the Enguli (manufacture and licensing) Act, Cap 86 and the Liquor Act, Cap 93 have become out-dated and obsolete and have never been fully enforced since they are usually looked as colonial era laws,” reads the bill in part.
The Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill, 2016 will put a restraint on selling of alcohol strictly from 5:00Pm to 12:00Am and whoever will be found contravening the law once passed will risk spending one year in the jail or pay a fine of Shs2M.
The bill seeks to restrict the trade of alcoholic drinks to only people licensed by Government. The license will be renewed periodically and one will pay a yet to be specified fee to be issued a license.
Key of the highlights in the proposed bill is the section that gives the wife/ husband powers to report drunkard partner and get a license barring any alcohol seller from ever selling to him/her alcohol.
“Whenever it appears to a spouse, parent, guardian, authorized person, employer or a police officer that a person is abusing alcoholic drinks and all attempts to have him or her voluntarily stop consuming alcoholic drinks have failed, the spouse, the concerned party may apply to sub county Alcohol Licensing and Control Committee for an order prohibiting the sale of alcohol to that person.”
In the new bill still, no alcohol seller will be granted a license to sell alcoholic drinks in universities tertiary institutions, hospital, clinic, rehabilitation centers, prison and remand home.
The consumption, manufacture, importation, and distribution of alcohol in the famous sachets is set to be ruled illegal and no one will be allowed to sell alcohol in bottles which is less than 250 milliliters.