ILLICIT BREWS A DANGER

Tue, 26 Sep 2017 09:51:09 +0000

By Sandra Machima

MANUFACTURERS of spirits popularly known as Tujilijili and junta have been warned to follow laid down regulations and procedures or face the wrath of the law.

Local Government Minister Vincent Mwale said he was concerned over alcohol abuse and the illicit liquor trade in Zambia.  The minister was speaking  during the third multi-stakeholders meeting on Alcohol Landscape in Zambia in Lusaka at the weekend.

Mr Mwale said the government was ready and committed to ensuring that the right policies were instituted that would manage the sector.

“Let us not kill people with so much high alcohol content in a small bottle and being sold almost at giveaway prices,

“I am told an individual just needs a K5 and they are done for the day with a 40 percent alcohol content in a 200 ml bottle, and I wish to commend all stakeholders for taking steps in ensuring responsible drinking and discouraging underage drinking,” Mr Mwale said.

Mr Mwale said Government had a suggestion to introduce a Statutory Instrument (SI) aimed at regulating the alcohol sector.

 He said the onus of ensuring responsibility for the sale of alcohol and identification of the producer would be placed on the retailers.

The minister called on the players in the alcohol sector together with the regulator to come up with a summary table of action plans that would be forwarded to the government it progressed in formulating the statutory instruments.

Mr Mwale said penalties would also be placed on the last person in the value chain as it was the

Mr Mwale also called on parents to closely monitor the children’s activities and help raise good and responsible citizens, saying reports had been indicated showing reports of school going youths having a beer party and engaging in illicit activities.

And Zambian Breweries country director Jose Moran has since called on stakeholders in the alcohol industry to help consumers develop smart drinking habits and make good alcohol choices.

He said Zambian Breweries was concerned with the unregulated alcohol which was a danger to the health of the consumers, and that such had double negative impact through wrong behaviours and losses of tax as many manufactures were not paying tax.

“Zambian Breweries wants to help consumers make smart drinking choices of alcohol especially that we are very much aware of the harm the alcohol abuse can have. We are also concerned about underage drinking. We are committed to fight under age beer consumption and next week we will be launching an 18+ campaign,” he said.

The 18+ ambassadors will be going around schools to sensitise pupils on the dangers of alcohol consumption and abuse.

Meanwhile, Zambia Bureau of Standards representative Peggy Chituta said her organisation was working to ensure that the alcohol on the market meets the quality required, properly labelled and had cautionary message on the adverse effects