Rapa tasks board to shut down illegal liquor outlets in Western Highlands

Western Highlands governor Wai Rapa has tasked a Liquor Licensing Board to shut down illegal liquor stores in the province.

Rapa said the sale and consumption of alcohol by unlicensed liquor stores is one of the root causes of lawlessness in Western Highlands and around the country.

The governor revealed that Liquor Licensing Tax in his province only generated K150,000 from the total internal revenue of K113 million.

He said the liquor revenue was from the tax paid by licensed outlets. The profits raised was lower than what was estimated in the previous budget, which has prompted the Western Highlands Provincial Assembly to consider mushrooming unlicensed liquor outlets in the province.

Governor Rapa said liquor has contributed to majority of the law and order problems, alleging that people are consuming or buying it from unlicensed outlets.

"How many people have died in relation to alcohol? How many destruction has alcohol caused? How many men and women have contracted all sorts of disease through alcohol consumption? How many families have been torn through alcohol?" Rapa questioned.

"But look at it. Look what we have here now. Sale of alcohol has only generated K150,000 for the province’s internal revenue.

“It's tearing the province and country apart and we're not even getting any good revenue out of it.”

He expressed frustration of the money raised and vowed to take down illegal liquor stores operation in Western Highlands.

The provincial assembly chairman said an awareness will also be carried out by councilors in each of the wards in the province, about the consumption and brewing of homemade alcohol.