Kerry Howard Mwesigwa.
KAMPALA, November 15, 2023 | Uganda, according to the World Health Organization, has one of the highest per capita alcohol consumption rates in the world, with an average of 9.5 liters of pure alcohol per person per year. Alcohol consumption is associated with high-risk behaviors such as unsafe sex and use of other psychoactive substances, and tends to be linked to dependence on other drugs and sexually transmitted infections
To address this issue, a private member’s Bill, the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill, 2023, was presented to the Parliament for consideration on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. The Bill aims to regulate the production, distribution, and consumption of alcoholic drinks in the country, and to protect the public from the harmful effects of alcohol³.
The Bill also proposes to ban the sale of alcohol to minors, and to restrict the promotion and advertisement of alcoholic drinks. The Bill was moved by Sarah Opendi, the Member of Parliament for Tororo District, who said that the Bill had been gazetted as required by law. She had obtained the permission of the House to introduce the Bill on 08 November 2022.
However, the Bill faced a hurdle when the Minister for Finance declined to issue a certificate of financial implications, which is necessary for any Bill that has an impact on the national budget. The Bill had to wait for 60 days before it could be read for the first time, as stipulated by the Public Finance Management Act, 2015.
The Speaker of the Parliament, Anita Among, said that since the 60-day period had elapsed, the Bill could proceed without the certificate. She referred the Bill to the Committee on Health and the Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry for further scrutiny and consultation. The Committees are expected to report back to the House within 45 days.
The Bill is expected to face more debate and amendments before it can be passed into law. If enacted, the Bill will have significant implications for the alcohol industry, the public health sector, and the society at large.
