Licence
Fees – Liquor licensing fees for Eastern Cape liquor licence holders and
prospective liquor licence holders, have been increased dramatically - effective
from 1 April 2014. The increase was
announced in terms of a special provincial gazette published on 28 March 2014.
The diagram below gives an indication of the increase of fees in the various categories :
Although
the fees are more or less similar to the fees charged in terms of provincial liquor acts, it will come as a
shock to current and future liquor licence holders of the Eastern Cape. The increase comes on the back of another
increase in the fuel price. It also
follows shortly after the annual increase in excise duties, which inevitable
are passed on to the consumer. (Click here for a humorous view of the Budget increases).
The most
worrying is the more than 800% increase in the lodgement fee – from R300
to R2500. Similarly, the once-off
licence approval fee for on consumption liquor licences has been increased from
R1000 to R8000. The same fee for off
consumption liquor licences has been raised from R2000 to R5000. Many would have difficulty seeing the logic
of differentiating between licence fees for on and off consumption liquor
licences. The annual liquor licence fee
for an on and off consumption licence has been increased more than 1400% - from
R200 to R2500!
(Article by LiquorWise)
