Parliament declines to proceed with the Alcohol Control Bill

Kampala: Parliament has rejected the Alcohol Control Bill, 2023, which sought to regulate the purchase, sale, and consumption of alcohol.

The private members bill that was introduced for the first time by Tororo District Woman Representative, Hon. Sarah Opendi, in November 2023 also aimed to regulate the time and premises where alcohol would be sold in Uganda.

The decision to reject the processing of the bill followed the presentation of the report from the Committees of Trade and Health by Hon. Sylvia Nayebare during the plenary sitting chaired by Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.

The committees argued that if passed in the current state, the bill would impose a financial implication on the consolidated fund.

“The committee therefore recommends that this august House not proceed on the motion for Second Reading of the Alcoholic Drinks (Control) Bill, 2023,” Nayebare said, adding that, ‘this being a private member’s bill, the committee is constrained to consider the proposed amendments that have the effect of imposing a financial charge on the Consolidated Fund’’.

The committee also urged the government to focus on the illicit trade of alcohol, which accounts for 65 percent of all the alcohol consumed in the country, saying the new bill does not indicate how it intends to eliminate the illicit trade in alcoholic drinks.“The committee notes that whereas regulation of the alcohol industry is good, such regulation should be fair, balanced, evidence-based, and sustainable, taking into account the various stakeholders,” the committee report read in part.

Aruu County Member of Parliament, Hon. Christopher Komakech, who moved and presented a minority report, said that the bill is necessary and would go a long way in regulating the sector and resolving the related challenges.

“Restricting the hours of sale is a good step in creating a sense of responsibility for citizens who cannot control their consumption behaviors,” he argued.

The Attorney General, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, urged MPs against debating the bill.

“I strongly advise that and pray that in order to avoid causing regulatory confusion, we wholly reject this bill, and then, using the good ideas that we have picked from this bill, we can find the necessary laws where there are supposed to be input,” Kiryowa Kiwanuka said, adding that ‘’there is nothing in this bill that is not regulated by an existing law except the time of sale of alcohol, which can also be managed by licensing’’.

While moving the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill, 2023, for second reading, Opendi argued that the bill intends to protect consumers from alcohol abuse.

“We need revenue, but we also need a healthy population that will be productive to support this economy,” she said.

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