Scientists say it's time to think about lifting the booze ban to save jobs

“With hindsight I don’t think so. We certainly needed those beds at the time,” he said. But he added, “I think we now need to start looking at planning for lifting the temporary ban on alcohol sales ... so that we can perhaps start planning for them, in a few weeks' time maybe even talk about lifting the ban on alcohol sales.”

“Nineteen days since that economically devastating decision [by President Cyril Ramaphosa] to ban alcohol with immediate effect, the SAMRC is advising government differently. If the government is to be consistent in its approach to the ban, it needs to urgently open talks for the orderly reopening of alcohol trade to prevent further losses of jobs and revenue for both the state and business,” said Sibani Mngadi, spokesperson for the alcohol industry.

The industry said more than R19bn in revenue and R3.4bn in excise tax to government was lost during the first phase of the ban of alcohol sales. The industry has requested the finance ministry to defer the payment of a further R5bn due to the SA Revenue Service until the ban on alcohol sales has been lifted.

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