ON THIS DAY IN OUR HISTORY: One-Day Drink Ban Starts Sunday

Take-away liquor sales were set to stop on Sunday and remain banned through the Independence celebrations. Hotels, taverns, clubs and canteens could continue operating, but only within restricted hours.

Interior Minister John Poe announced the measures. Bottle shops, stores and dealers would be prohibited from selling liquor from September 7 through September 17. The supply of occasional licences, booth licences, cabaret permits, dinlounge and other special permits would also be prohibited from September 13 to 17.

Licensed venues faced specific limits. On September 15, sales would be allowed from noon to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. On Independence Day, September 16, the permitted periods would be noon to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The same hours as September 15 would apply on September 17.

Some exceptions remained. Holders of publican’s, restaurant or limited hotel licences could serve liquor with meals from noon to 2:30 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Lodgers and their bona fide guests could also be served in guest rooms throughout the celebrations. Occasional licences would be allowed for genuine and significant Independence functions, including official government events, subject to the stated approval requirements.

The Cabinet said the restrictions sought a balance between reasonable consumption and supervision. Poe said the rules targeted storekeepers because large sales before earlier restrictions had sent liquor into illegal outlets. “Storekeepers have no reason for complaint about the restrictions as liquor sales should only be incidental to their main business and not be their ‘daily’,” he said.

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Storekeepers have no reason for complaint about the restrictions as liquor sales should only be incidental to their main business and not be their ‘daily’.