DIGITAL LIQUOR LICENSING SYSTEM FORTHCOMING

MBABANE – The development of a Digital Liquor Licensing System (DLLS) to assist Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and customers to connect to government services is in the pipeline.

This was mentioned by the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo during the World Beer Alliance event. The minister said the review of the Liquor Licensing Act has commenced, and it aims at achieving alignment of procedures and to streamline processes with modern times. He said, therefore, there was always an opportunity for better collaboration with the beer industry in formulating policies and programmes that reduce the harmful effect of alcohol across the continent. “I find it very impressive that alongside the industry’s economic initiatives, you do recognise the growth of the beer industry must always be coupled with a commitment to ensuring our products are marketed and consumed responsibly,” he said.

Experiencing

Khumalo added that Eswatini was already experiencing key economic challenges and so the pandemic has exacerbated an already fragile economic situation. He said there was an immediate urgency for government to improve their partnerships and collaboration with the industry in general, to positively support economic development. He said the beer industry in particular needs to leverage on this call and ensure they work collectively for the betterment of the countries’ development and sustainability. “We are aware of the World Breweries Alliance’s (WBA) key findings from a study by Oxford Economics, assessing the economic impact of the country’s beer industry’s in 2019, to GDP, jobs and taxes. I must agree that from the statistics, beer does seem to be an inherently formidable engine of economic activity and development,” he added.

The minister also mentioned that the beer sector contributed to 1.2 per cent of Eswatini’s national gross domestic product (GDP) and one in every 91 jobs in Eswatini was linked to the economic activity of beer, as more than 3 200 jobs were created, translating to over 25 000 livelihoods. He said two per cent of national tax revenue was also collected from economic activity linked to beer. The minister also mentioned that one of the biggest issues that they were facing was reducing alcohol harm, which he said he believed was a common issue and was also a very important issue for any government. “In the past, we have taken various measures to curb the harm from alcohol consumption, but we do need the industry to play an active role in this regard,” he said. Khumalo also mentioned that they were also equally elated that the industry in Eswatini was taking the issue of harmful consumption seriously.

Partnership

He said they were going into a partnership with Eswatini Beverages Limited (EBL) with regards to Road Safety. Unlike so much of our modern economy, beer remains an intensely local industry. As a result, brewing delivers outsized economic benefits to local communities through a value chain that stretches from farmers to truckers, mom-and-pop retailers, restaurants, bars and other hospitality locations. This is particularly evident in markets in Africa, where the beer industry looks to drive growth, empower people and communities, and create a legacy of change across the entire continent. On the sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly, Brewing the Future will bring together a group of stakeholders focused on the future of Africa and committed to accelerating its growth through policy, investment and development.

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