Parliament Rejects Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2023

Parliament has rejected the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2023 for redundancy. MPs said the bill, championed by Sarah Opendi (Tororo DWR), does not clearly state the problem it is trying to address.

The Joint Committee of Trade & Health described the proposal to impose a time limit on alcohol sales in Uganda as redundant.

“Limiting the time of sale under clause 14 of the Bill may not necessarily translate into people drinking less; thus, the clause will be redundant. High alcohol consumption may not be linked to the amount of time spent drinking. Restricting hours of sale may have adverse effects on revenue collection and tax contributions to the economy, as bars generally rely on the sale of alcoholic drinks to generate income. These sales typically peak during late-night hours, past the 10:00 PM mark, compared to any other time of the day.” the report read in part.

However, the Minority report, presented by Timothy Batuwa and Nicholas Kamara, proposed that Parliament impose a time limit on alcohol sales in Uganda. They also confirmed that their recommendation was supported by major players in the industry. These include Nile Breweries Limited and Uganda Breweries Limited, who suggested adjustments to the time limits.

Their recommendations were not accepted following the Attorney General, Kiwanuka Kiryowa’s guidance for the rejection of the bill.

Parliament rejects bill

“This Bill, in our view, offends Article 93 (a)(2) of the Constitution, which provides that you shall not proceed on a bill that has a financial implication on the consolidated fund or an alteration of the same. From the reading of the majority report, you can clearly see that the implementation of this bill, if passed, will have an effect on the consolidated fund. So for that reason alone, I will be moving that the Bill be rejected by the House.” the Attorney General said.

The Attorney General argued that the Bill is redundant as its contents are already covered by existing laws. To avoid regulatory confusion, he strongly advised rejecting the Bill and incorporating its useful elements into current laws.

Kiwanuka also noted that the Bill would contradict the Employment Act, which governs employment issues, including those related to minors. Similarly, it would contradict the Industrial Licensing Act, which regulates all manufacturing establishments. He warned that adding a new section specifically for certain manufactories could lead to implementation conflicts.