Restaurants and Casinos Cannot Operate As Bars, Says Banda
Minister of Local Government Dr Charles Banda has announced that restaurants and casino are not allowed to operate as impromptu bars: selling alcohol without proper licenses and taking advantage of Covid-19 restrictions that require actual bars to remain closed.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Dr Banda said that casino and restaurant owners who sold alcohol illegally risked having their business licenses revoked.
Last Friday, President Lungu announced that some businesses could reopen, allowing parts of Zambia’s economy to continue during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite the restrictions on alcohol sales, Dr Banda announced that he had received a K100,000 donation for the fight against Covid-19 from National Breweries Plc.
The minister said that local council would support businesses in being able to operate safely in accordance with public health guidelines.
He said businesses that have not yet been allowed to open should not feel victimised by the government, which was working towards restarting all businesses and getting everyone back to work.
Dr Banda dismissed reports that businesses had been asked to pay local council for certification before being allowed to reopen. However, he admitted that businesses owners would have to engage with local authorities to check their eligibility to operate during the pandemic.
Local Government Minister Charles Banda