25 Apr 2021

Newly registered Botswana Beverage Association (BOBA) says it is vital for government to consult the association when making decisions relating to its affiliates’ businesses. 

Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday in Gaborone, BOBA chairperson, Mr Peter Noke explained that the objective of the association was to liaise between government and other stakeholders on issues affecting the beverage businesses. 

“When talking to government as individuals, it will not be effective as compared to coming as a group, hence the idea to form an association,” he said. 

He highlighted that the association represented night clubs, bars, pubs and bottle stores. 

Vice chairman of the association, Mr Kealeboga Bogatsu indicated that night clubs had stopped operating since March 2020. 

This, he said, was a big concern considering that they hired a good number of people, paid rentals as well as tax. 

“Rentals for clubs range between P11 000 and P55 000 per month, business has stopped for 13 months now, but rent has to be paid,” he added. 

He indicated that night club owners now owe landlords huge amounts of money. 

The wage subsidy, he said, was stopped when businesses resumed operations, however night clubs had not been operating, and are still affected. “The question is why the subsidy was stopped for night clubs. Consultations could have answered such questions,” he said. 

“If business owners were involved when making decisions, they could have come up with ideas on how to operate safely during this pandemic and avoided debts that they now found themselves in,” he added. 

He explained that they were the ones who were involved in the daily operations of their businesses hence they were best suited to assist government come up with ideas that could work for everyone. 

He said they wanted to be consulted like it happened in 2018, when they were engaged when operating times were changed. 

Decisions taken, he said, did not work for the affected, giving example of bars, bottle stores and restaurant, which currently open and close at the same time. 

He indicated that such businesses traded with the same product, but the bottle stores were a bit cheaper, which meant the playing ground was not level. 

“Who is going to buy in a bar while he can get that same product cheaper at a bottle store, this shows that decisions that were made on our behalf without consultations badly affect our businesses,” he added. 

On wholesalers’ not selling liquor to individuals, Mr Bogatsu said they wondered why wholesalers opened during the weekend since their businesses operated from Monday to Friday. 

“Who is to buy on weekends because we would not be operating, this decision encourages illegal trading  because they will find a way to buy during weekend and sell from their homes, which also negatively affects our businesses,” he said. 

Consultations, he said could have avoided such misinformed decisions. 

He said the decision to sell alcohol during the week and not on weekends could have negative effects in the economy since productivity levels would drop. 

Mr Bogatsu highlighted that if they were allowed to operate during weekends, people would drink and rest on Sunday to prepare for work, adding that they would then be productive the whole week other than drinking during the week. 

He, therefore, said they believed that when sale of alcohol resumed, it was only to benefit the producer and the consumers, excluding the retailers.  Ends