Cabinet to discuss liquor packaged in sachets

Cabinet will soon discuss the problem and controversy surrounding liquor packaged in sachets, widely abused by the youth, to find a lasting solution, Minister of Industry and Trade Joseph Mwanamvekha has said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the sixth annual African Consumer Protection Dialogue Conference in Lilongwe, Mwanamvekha said government is worried with the way liquor in sachets is being sold, particularly because minors and school-going children are accessing the liquor.

Without disclosing the actual date when the issue will be discussed, he said the fact that alcohol is being smuggled into classrooms where it is consumed and, in the process, makes some students unruly, highlights the issue as one that needs urgent government attention.

“We have been reliably informed that the sachets are being smuggled into classrooms and even in schools where children are given breakfast, some children are putting the liquor in their porridge.

“This is a serious social, economical and health issue that needs the interventions of all stakeholders to deal with it,” said Mwanamvekha.

He called upon the delegates attending the conference to deliberate on the matter so that they can also advise on how the issue of packaging liquor in sachets can be handled professionally.

Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) executive director Charlotte Malonda challenged the delegates to the meeting to seriously tackle the issue of liquor in sachets and help Malawi find better solutions over the matter.

“We know that some countries had this problem but they solved it and, as Malawi, we want to learn how other countries managed to solve it,” she said.

One of CFTC commissioners, Matthews Chikankheni, said the problem of liquor in sachets has come about because of a lack of enforcement of the Liquor Act.

Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) director general Devlin Chokazinga could not comment on the matter because the manufacturers of the liquor packaged in sachets recently took a court injunction against the bureau which banned the production of the product.

Last week Inspector General of police Lot Dzonzi said he would love to see proper legislation put in place to tackle the problem of liquor in sachets because school-going children and even street kids are finding the alcohol easily accessible through a more portable packaging.

“I would love if government finds a lasting solution to this problem or, if need be, ban the production of sachets altogether. If we are not careful, we are producing a generation of drunkards and sooner or later our children will be alcoholics,” he said.

The Alcohol Manufacturers Association of Malawi (Amam) has hit back, saying arguments by those against liquor in sachets are unfair and one-sided.

In a published statement in the media tilted ‘Truths, Half Truths and Lies, defending the production and packaging of the liquor in sachets, claimed, among other issues, the alcohol content is similar to other bottled spirits.