(5 minutes read)
· The wholesale and retail liquor traders association of South Africa in a communication addressed to President Cyril Ramaphosa.said that the ban on the sale of alcohol will not significantly reduce the hospital admissions due to accidents on the roads
· The ban would destroy the livelihoods of many small businesses, their employees and families, and push many people closer to extreme poverty
· Traders are demanding a calibrated return to the normalcy in sales and not an immediate return to pre-lockdown sales of liquor.
The wholesale and retail liquor traders association of South Africa in a communication addressed to President Cyril Ramaphosa.said that the ban on the sale of alcohol will not significantly reduce the hospital admissions due to accidents on the roads. On the other hand, the ban would destroy the livelihoods of many small businesses, their employees and families, and push many people closer to extreme poverty. Therefore, it has called upon the government to take a balanced view on the ban of the liquor.
While making their point for lifting the ban, the Liquor Traders Association of South Africa has requested an audience with the president to discuss the lifting of the total prohibition on the sale of alcohol and to hear out their suggestions for a phased lifting of the ban.
Alcohol sale was on an animated suspension since the start of the lockdown in late March. After a brief period of lifting the ban at the start of June, it was again ban was re-imposed in the middle of July on the plea that it would reduce admissions to South Africa’s hospitals. Incidentally, South Africa experienced a spike in trauma cases mainly due to rash driving after drinking.
The plea of the association is that the stay-at-home restrictions under the initial lockdown was the real cause of fewer liquor-related casualties. A joint statement endorsed by the National Liquor Traders Council, South African Liquor Brandowners Association, the Beer Association of South Africa, Vinpro and LTASA was issued recently, which highlighted the pernicious impact of the fresh ban.
The traders are demanding a calibrated return to the normalcy in sales and not an immediate return to pre-lockdown sales of liquor. Financial implication of the ban was also flagged by the association. During the initial alcohol ban between March 27 and May 31, the liquor sellers had to pay salaries, wages, rent, insurance, security, IT charges and a few other incidentals, when there was no income. The problems were compounded by the sudden suspension of the sale of liquor on July 12, which also had affected the regular income of the vendors, taking them to the brink of closure of operations.
Traders also cautioned that the ban benefits the illegal traders of liquor and that way would not serve the real purpose of a ban. Some of the suggestions of the liquor traders include the off-consumption sale of liquor by distributors and retailers be permitted, restrictions on trading days, introduction of call and collect system to avoid crowding up etc. it has also called on the president to engage with the industry and economists to consider the impact on livelihoods and to clearly understand the impact the ban has on the economy, jobs, government finances and for the survival of businesses in the country.
