New liquor licence process coming

Changes are coming to the Liquor License Act. Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce, Dwight Sutherland has given the assurance that the long overdue changes will make the process of obtaining the licence easier.

He made this disclosure during the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Administration progress report to the nation at Carlisle car park on Sunday night.

“Within a couple of weeks we will be going to Parliament with a new Bill to repeal and replace the existing Liquor Licence Act. You will apply for your liquor licence online and pay at the post office – you don’t have to wait three and four months,” he revealed.

The Liquor Licence Act has been in effect since 1957. Over the years show promoters, restaurant owners and shopkeepers have described the process of renewing their license as “frustrating!”.

“For over 20 years we have been trying to reform the Liquor Licence Act… It is outdated legislation,” he pointed out.

“The process was too bureaucratic. When we did our mapping of the system, we found 1 000 liquor licences sitting waiting to be approved”, he remarked.

“What we have done; I am proud to report that the Chief Parliamentary Counsel within the Attorney General’s office have asked me to begin the marketing of the new liquor licence regime, moving it from the Magistracy jurisdiction to the Ministry of Small business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce, to be managed by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs,” Sutherland said. (TL)