The holiest day of the year, Good Friday is two days away and that means a lot of fish and a lot of family time. And in the past, it also meant that those who wanted to enjoy alcoholic beverages would have to stock up from tomorrow- because of the holy day ban on liquor sales.
This has always been a concern for those stores and restaurants with liquor licenses - particularly those who cater to tourists. But in December, the government changed that law - which usually took effect during the Easter and Christmas seasons - and allowed businesses to be able to sell liquor as per usual.
But today, the chairperson of the BTIA Placencia Chapter emphasized that it's usually up to the discretion of the enforcement officers on the ground, and she hopes that they are aware of this change in law.
Elysia Dial, Chairperson, Placencia Chapter, BTIA
"Several years being more than 20 years, those of us in the tourism industry have really felt the need for the liquor license that use to limit the sale of liquor on Good Friday and Christmas day that would impact restaurants and liquor businesses. Every single year it's a different thing, even though the law was written one way, it was always left up to the interpretation of the officer in charge of the area at time and based on wherever you happened to be."
"I know sometimes in Placencia it was one thing, so we really lobbied for several years to change that, because as most people know tourism brings in, I believe its 40-45% of the income for the whole entire country of Belize and when you have your country filled with tourists on these days and then all of a sudden most of the places that they would go to eat and have a drink are unable to open. It also takes away revenues from the business, it takes away revenue from the employees and also from the government, because we all pay a lot of taxes and so we really saw the need for a change in the law and I'm really thankful that last December just before Christmas cabinet met and they did change it."
"I believe it was a win for our industry, but for the whole country. I know that a lot of people, just believe in not drinking on Good Friday, but let's be honest, people buy all of their liquor on Thursday - those that want to drink and they are going to go drink anyway somewhere else and I totally respect businesses that don't want to be open on Good Friday or Christmas day, but I believe that others that do want to be open and operating and providing a service to our international and our local tourists should be able to do so. So, I know this is the actual first holiday that this new law is in place and I just want to make sure that across the board everybody is allowed to open as they should. I've already heard a lot of businesses are not going to be allowed to open on Good Friday and that's not right. We should all be able to open, because that is actually the law that was passed in December."
But Dial and other tourism stakeholders can be rest assured, the ComPol explained today that Good Friday will be like any other Friday for those that want to sell and buy liquor.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Yes you would know that the intoxicating liquor licensing regulation was amended recently by the Minister of Local Government. In that SI it repealed the provision that speaks to the fact that liquor establishments are not allowed to be opened on Good Friday so now, businesses that do operate under a shop liquor license can be opened from 6am to 9pm and I see Vejea dancing, that's not a good thing Vejea, it's always good to have a sober mind. And those establishment that operates under a publican special license can now open from 9am to 12 midnight and businesses that operates under a nightclub license can open from 10am to 2am the following morning and so Good Friday now, based on the amendment to the intoxicating liquor licensing regulation is just like an ordinary Friday where the opening hours for liquor establishments is concerned. That does not mean that you do not take time and pray, Duane."
