NATIONAL 3 -(Spotlight Weekly)

Tipsy Turvy

The government announces measures to control liquor consumption, but will it be able to implement them?

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

Weeks of anti-liquor protestations, often violent ones, and one ravaged distillery later, the women's wing of the underground Maoists finally got the government to sign in a paper announcing a number of strong measures to control the sales and consumption of alcohol in the country.

Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka, on August 25, reached a truce with representatives of the All Nepal Women Association (ANWA-Revolutionary), announcing sweeping measures, including a ceiling on the number of liquor outlets, fixation of legal drinking age, time limit and ban on liquor advertisements, among others.

The sudden announcement of the measures has thrown the alcohol industry off-balance. The industrialists have already complained that their points of views were not incorporated in the announcement. ìWe are not averse to controlling liquor consumption, but the government should have followed less rash route,î said one industrialist.

Many see the government announcement on liquor sales as an indication that it does not want to rock the boat before it sits down for crucial talks with the Maoists. Therefore, they say, the current announcement may turn out to be nothing more than a gimmick.

Home Minister Khadka said that the agreement will not affect star hotels and the tourism industry. ìPublic health is the most important issue for the government and it will do everything it can to implement the measures,î he said.

Even Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat conceded that some of the measures would be difficult to impose. Talking to BBC World Service, he said the government would find it difficult to impose the rule about the age limit, among others. He, however, said that the government had no intention to sabotage the whole industry.

But that is what the announcement could eventually result in, if the concerns of the industrialists are not taken into account. Investors are already feeling jittery. The investment in the liquor industry is around Rs 10 billion. The sector provides about Rs 7 billion in annual revenues to the government. If there is any disruption, the treasury would see a drastic depletion.

Ramesh Kumar Shrestha, the president of Bevarages and Cigarettes Association has criticized the government-ANWA agreement as being against the essence of business.

There is no doubt that open sale of liquor and beverages has created problems in society, as many young and school-going children have developed the habit of consumption. Realizing the need to regularize the sale of liquor and beverage, parliament has passed a bill giving sweeping powers to officials to control sales.

But the apparent nonchalance in pursuing the issue by the successive governments paved the way for radical elements to hijack the issue.

It cannot be disputed that controlling liquor was long overdue in the country. But the manner in which it was announced could be counter productive to the business and investment sector in the country.

By announcing stern measures for liquor control, the government has opened a Pandora's box. What about the use of liquor by different ethnic groups in the country during festivals and for cultural purposes? What about the inevitable reduction in the revenue receipts? More importantly, would the government really implement the measures? If so, who will check the license raj that will get a new lease of life once the limit on the number liquor outlets is effected? These are few questions that the government needs to answer before implementing the measures.

Major Points Of The Announcement

* Four dry days every month--the first two days and the last two Saturdays of every Nepali month.

* Four outlets per ward in metropolis, three in sub-metropolis, one in municipality and two in every single Village Development Committee.

* People below the age of 24 years barred from drinking.

* People below the age of 21 years barred from selling or distributing liquor.

* Ban on liquor advertisement on radio, television, print media as well as in public places.

* Liquor sales allowed only from 2 pm to 6 pm.

* Non issuance of permission for new alcohol industry.

* Ladies campus to be opened from the revenue generated from alcohol production.

* No cabins allowed in restaurants.

* Decent dress code for waitresses working in restaurants.

* Ban on events and things that negatively hurt women's prestige, including vulgar cinema, fashion show and pornographic magazines.

* Ban on gambling across the country.

* Reservation of seats for ladies in buses.

* Under age marriages, Badi practice, Jhuma practice, Deuki practice, polygamy to be stopped.

According to the agreement, the government would implement the measures that do not require legislative support within 15 days. The government would take initiatives to enforce measures that require the parliamentary support by October 1.

Lawlessness At Its Worst

On the eve of the Dashain festival, the only cable car in the country has halted its operation triggering fears that thousands of devotees may have to walk all the way up to the temple this year.

A group of local ward officials led by the chairman of the Namuna Village Development Committee (VDC) Ram Kumar Joshi manhandled Laxman Babu Shrestha, the chairman of Mankamana Cable Car, and ransacked the office, forcing the management to halt operations indefinitely from August 26.

Joshi claimed that the action was prompted after the management failed to agree to their demands. Their demands included money and concessions in travel fare to local people.

But the management says Joshi's group attacked the office of the Manakamana Cable Car in Kurintar after he was asked to present a report on how he spent resources the company provided over the past years.

Although Joshi's action seems unjustified, the government is equally responsible for the situation. It should have done everything possible to avert such a conflict that can send wrong message to potential investors. It was only after the incident took place that the chief district officer made some noises about taking care of the situation. The government at the center is yet to make its stand clear.

Such lawlessness is not limited to Manakamana Cable Car alone. Just a week ago Shah Distillery in Banke district was ruined by a mob instigated by some radical elements. In both cases the police were mute spectators.

The first cable car of the country, Manakamana has invested some Rs 400 million in the sector and was popular among Nepalese, especially the devotees who visit the wish-fulfilling Goddess Manakamana's temple atop a steep hill regularly.