Good news for liquor operators

LONG LINES and day-long waiting in magistrate’s courts for liquor licences, from which Government collects almost $2 million annually, could soon be a thing of the past.

The Freundel Stuart Cabinet is expected to make a decision early next year on amendments to the 1957 Liquor Licence Act that will most likely see the issuance of liquor licences being moved from the magistrates’ courts to a Liquor Licensing Board.

Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development, Donville Inniss, said yesterday several changes were coming to the legislation, including the change from yearly renewal of licences to permission that would cover three years.

Additionally, he disclosed, instead of December 31 being an automatic renewal date for such licences, a requirement that causes bottlenecks, it was proposed that renewal would become due on the anniversary of issuing.  (LK)

Please read the full story in today’s Midweek Nation, or in the eNATION edition.