By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

Liquor stores will from September 1 have to register with the Department of Inland Revenue’s website as part of the Government’s crackdown on the sector’s over-saturation in inner-city Nassau.

Shunda Strachan, the Department of Inland Revenue’s acting controller, said liquor stores and bars must register and pay a $100 fee prior to applying for a Business Licence - either a renewal or new application.

Speaking at the Office of the Prime Minister’s weekly media briefing, Ms Strachan said new licence applicants must register through the portal 90 days before applying for their Business Licence. Each application will be publicised as part of a public consultation process, and meet suitability requirements before being approved.

Existing licence holders must also register their business through the portal prior to renewal. Ms Strachan explained that reforms to the Business Licence Act, enacted alongside the 2025-2026 Budget, “require that if you are applying for a new liquor licence, you have to apply for registration 90 days prior”.

“If you already have a liquor business and you’re really only trying to renew your licence, you still have to come back to the Department of Inland Revenue and you have to apply again for registration, or the renewal of your registration, and I think that’s going to be a major initiative, not only for the Department of Inland Revenue, but the general public just needs to be mindful that there is this new step that has to be carried out prior to applying for Business Licence,” Ms Strachan added.

She said the Department of Inland Revenue will be taking the proximity of liquor stores to schools and churches into consideration, as well as the suitability of premises, when approving new applications and renewals.

Highlighting the walk-up liquor stores in inner city New Providence that often attract a crowd being served through a “take-out window”, Ms Strachan said the tax authority is going to be “very watchful” of such businesses as the Government cracks down on the proliferation of alcohol.

“The things that Inland Revenue is going to consider when we make the determination as to whether or not the registration certificate should be granted, we’re going to consider the concentration of liquor stores in the area that you’re trying to open the liquor store in. Of course, the proximity to schools and places of worship, the suitability of the premises,” said Ms Strachan.

“We now have this new thing called the suitability of the premises. And I don’t know if you’re aware, there’s new some new types of businesses that opened since COVID. You have take-aways. So Bahamians are accustomed to lining up to get food at a take-out window.

“But there’s some new things that came about where you line up and you go to a liquor store, and you’re getting served through a window. And so that’s something we’re going to be very watchful of. And you pay attention to that, because there are some new restrictions that may be enforced for those types of businesses.”

Ms Strachan said the Department of Inland Revenue is “reasonable”, and existing liquor stores that fail the suitability requirements may be given a timeframe to modify their premises to ensure they meet the new criteria.

“The Department of Inland Revenue is reasonable. We’re reasonable in what we do. And let’s say, for instance, you already have a liquor establishment, but we now deem your premises unsuitable and so we’re not going to register you. I don’t know what that’s going to look like. It probably will look like us going through a period of consultation: Can you amend your premises to make it suitable,” said Ms Strachan.

“But in any event, the Department of Inland Revenue has strict guidelines to follow, which we will follow. We have no choice, and once we follow them, if a decision is given and it’s not a decision that the business owner can accept, there’s a whole process of appeal”

Ms Strachan said that, beginning next month, lists of liquor stores wishing to obtain a Business License will be published and existing licence holders will be registered.

“We’re going to engage the registration process, but definitely, as of September, we’re going to start publishing this because what we’re going to try and do is get ahead of the 2026 registration period. There are thousands, of liquor businesses overall in the country. And it’s not just for New Providence, it’s country-wide. The businesses that are licensed already, the first thing that we need to do is now register them,” said Ms Strachan

“You will begin to see the Department of Inland Revenue publishing lists to get feedback from the public as soon as the beginning of next month. And so it’s already in process. It’s already enacted, and so it’s being carried out now.”