The Tribune

BY ANNELIA NIXON

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

AN EXUMA liquor outlet yesterday said months-long delays in the Government’s licensing process are leaving legitimate business owners in limbo, while unlicensed operators continue to sell alcohol without consequence.

Andrew Smith, who owns a liquor establishment in Exuma, said he submitted his renewal application well before his licence expired but, despite waiting since January 2026, is still without a renewed licence.

“I already put in for my licence long before the expiration,” he said. “It’s them. They got everybody. Not just me. You’re talking about half of Exuma don’t have their licence.

“They behind big time. Everybody applied for their liquor licence in a timely manner, because they say if you apply for it at the same time, you don’t have to pay the renewal fee.

“I’ve been waiting for my liquor licence from January. It’s July. So now you’re going to bring my liquor licence to me and, at the end of the year, you’re coming back to me again to say it’s time for me to pay my fee.”

Mr Smith’s comments come as the Coalition of Independents (COI) has intensified criticism of the Government’s revised liquor licensing regime, which took effect on July 1.

In a social media post, COI chair Charlotte Green questioned whether the new requirements were creating unnecessary barriers for Bahamian entrepreneurs. While acknowledging the importance of public safety and responsible liquor sales, she argued that excessive bureaucracy, repeated inspections, public consultation requirements and the absence of firm processing timelines could delay business approvals and discourage investment.

Ms Green also raised concerns that public objections could be used by competitors or political interests to frustrate legitimate businesses, and said current licence holders and prospective operators have already been waiting months for approvals before the latest regulations came into force.

Responding to those concerns, Mr Smith said many of the new consultation requirements appear better suited to New Providence than the Family Islands.

“I think a lot of that is going to be applied to Nassau,” he said. “If you notice in Nassau, every church, there’s a liquor store on the side of it. So that is something that ain’t really going to be applied to the Family Islands because you could drive miles before you even get to a liquor store.

“I think they’re more trying to clean up Nassau more than the Family Islands.”

While the Government has sought to tighten oversight of liquor establishments, including limiting where licences can be granted and requiring businesses to meet stricter operational standards, Mr Smith argued there should not be a crackdown on licensed operators attempting to comply with the law.

“There don’t need to be no crackdown on no liquor store nowhere,” he said. “People are honestly and truthfully trying to go the legitimate way of making ends meet, or making an honest living.”

Instead, Mr Smith believes enforcement resources should target illegal alcohol sales. “What should be closing down is the ‘30 days’. That’s who they need to go put pressure on,” Mr Smith said, referring to unlicensed operators commonly known by that nickname.

“It’s not fair to me that I’m going through all this process to get my licence the legitimate way, and the right way to get my licence, and somebody around the corner doesn’t have a licence and is selling beer the same way I’m selling my beer.

“It’s not fair to anybody who’s selling liquor with a licence. Here it is, Tom and Jerry down the road selling beers the same price you’re selling it for, but Tom and Jerry don’t have a licence. They call them ‘30 days’. They are the people the Government needs to crack down on.”

Mr Smith has previously criticised aspects of the Government’s new regulatory framework after being required to spend about $3,000 constructing a temporary wall to separate the bar from his laundromat in order to satisfy licensing requirements.

At the time, he described the policy as “going overboard” for Family Island operators, arguing that small businesses were already grappling with higher operating costs, supply chain challenges and limited customer bases compared with New Providence.

His latest concerns suggest that, beyond the cost of complying with the new standards, operators are increasingly worried about how long it is taking for licences to be processed, leaving compliant businesses waiting months for approvals while illegal operators continue trading unchecked.