Limiting the hours of alcohol sales will affect consumers, industry workers, and farmers alike, risking the loss of more than 1,300,000 jobs, Jackie Tahakanizibwa, the secretary general of the Uganda Alcohol Industry Association (UAIA), told a consultative meeting at the Ministry of Finance.
"This restriction on working hours has the potential to affect about 1,300,000 jobs and the livelihoods of approximately 6,300,000 people across the whole value chain, including manufacturers, grain growers, distributors, pubs, and clubs," Tahakanizibwa said, as quoted by local media.
She reportedly added that the bill threatens the loss of income for more than 300,000 farmers and their families in over 32 districts in Uganda who produce raw materials for alcohol production such as sorghum, barley, cassava and maize.
In addition, the legislation, if enacted, risks depriving the government of a significant loss of tax revenue.
"The Bill’s economic implications are significant, with an anticipated budgetary loss of more than $1 trillion in alcohol-related taxes. Members of the UAIA are consistently listed among the top five taxpayers in the country, contributing more than 35% of the national tax base," Tahakanizibwa pointed out.
For her part, Evelyn Anite, Uganda's Minister of Finance, announced that the government will take stern measures against all unregistered companies dealing with alcohol.
The Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill, 2023 was introduced into the Ugandan Parliament on November 14 by MP Sarah Opendi, who argued that high levels of alcohol consumption affect the productivity of society, hence the need to regulate the production, sale and consumption of alcohol.
In addition to limiting the hours of sale of alcohol, the bill seeks to prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages in passenger vehicles, to law enforcement officers, and to persons under the age of eighteen.
Seychelles and Tanzania ranked second and third, while Mauritania and Somalia were the countries with the lowest alcohol consumption.