13 Jul 2020

 The Botswana Alcohol Industry Association (BAIA) has donated 1500 masks, sanitisers and COVID-19 posters to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI). 

Receiving the donation, Minister Peggy Serame said it epitomised the tenets of the Botswana national vision and reflected Batswana’s benevolence. 

Ms Serame further said the donation would ensure continued trading and facilitate compliance to the COVID-19 protocols. 

She commended the alcohol industry for their support of government initiatives and for providing good quality health care services to bar owners. 

In addition, she said she was happy with the bar owners’ compliance and adherence to the protocols, save for a few reported incidents, adding however that a few incidents cannot tarnish the majority, who are trying their best to resuscitate the industry under these uncertain and challenging circumstances. 

BAIA Chairperson, Mr Mothusi Molokomme said they adhered to all regulations that guide operations and sale of alcohol as a basic principle and strived to ensure that their responsibility extended beyond the buying and selling of their products. 

“As the BAIA and our partners within the liquor value chain, we have advertisements aimed at encouraging adherence to all COVID-19 health protocols from social distancing, mask wearing to drinking responsibly at home,” he said. 

Mr Molokomme also appreciated government’s consideration to lift the ban on  trading of alcohol and said BAIA looked forward to the various classes of trade (bars & clubs) coming up with innovative ideas to increase trading while adhering to health protocols. 

He highlighted that the donation was meant to assist the bar liquor channel to be fully compliant with COVID-19 protocols.

He said they intended to extend the assistance as widely as possible across the country. 

“My organisation also encourages bars and bottle stores to come together and formally register their associations, which will lead to representation on the BAIA board to be able to continue advocating for the liquor industry as one voice,’ he stated. 

In addition, Mr Molokomme said even though they were currently subjected to restricted trading, they believed that with the continued good behaviour of their patrons and strict adherence to regulations by their trade partners, things would get back to normal. Ends