The Government of Uganda has officially banned the packaging and sale of alcohol in sachets.
This follows a cabinet directive in 2017 where it was agreed that alcohol be packaged and sold in plastic and glass bottles of a minimum of 200 millimetres.
The Ministry of Trade together with alcohol manufacturers had agreed on a road map to procure, install and commission new bottling packaging production equipment and building new factory premises for new technology bottling machinery.
According to a statement from the trade minister Amelia Kyambadde, the process which has taken two years has attracted a lot of investment in bottling equipment to allow the transition.
“This means that the production and packaging of alcohol should transit from packaging in sachets to packaging and sale in plastic and glass bottles, 200mls minimum,” she said.
The minister said in accordance to the agreed positions, government has issued a ban on the production of alcohol in sachets with effect from March 31, 2019 at factory premises.
“The sale / Trade of Alcohol in sachets is banned with effect from May 30, 2019 and no one is expected to sale alcohol in sachets after this date,” statement reads in part.
Ms Kyambadde added that a committee has been established to monitor the implementation of the directive, warning that noncompliance with the ban will culminate into closure of business.
The committee is comprised of officials from; Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Finance, Uganda Revenue Authority, Uganda National Bureau of Standards. Ministry of Health. Uganda Manufacturers Association, Uganda Police force, NEMA and the Uganda Alcohol Manufacturers Association.
