28 Dec 2009

Fiji women's centre slams alcohol liberalisation

11:38 pm on 28 December 2009

The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre says the interim regime's decision to liberalise access to alcohol is a bad move for the country.

Commerce Minister Aiyas Sayed Khaiyum announced in the lead up to Christmas that retail shopping hours would be extended while taverns and nightclubs could stay open longer.

Nightclubs will be able to stay open as late as 5am while taverns can trade up to 1am.

The Crisis Centre's spokesperson Shamima Ali says the country is already riven with alcohol-related social problems.

"An organisation like the Crisis Centre knows exactly what happens around nightclub hours to young people, what happens to families around alcohol, particularly at this time of the year.

"So for us that is really something that we believe should have discussed in consultation with NGOs and civil society, as well as business people, and that has been just done in a very draconian manner, as in everything in this country."