22 Nov 2019

New Caledonia's south to ease ineffective booze restrictions

12:39 pm on 22 November 2019

The government of New Caledonia's Southern Province will remove some of the restrictions on the sale of alcohol as current measures aren't considered to be effective.

Red wine glass and glass of light beer

Alcohol abuse is one of the main sources of delinquency, particularly among young people. Photo: 123RF

Weekend sale bans will be lifted in part because of the emergence of a black market, which has seen the rise of networks providing home deliveries of alcoholic beverages during shop closures.

Instead, the government wants to introduce the concept of bottle shops, like in Australia, where it will be mandatory to show an ID.

The new system will require large retailers to set aside a separate section for alcohol sales, while small shops are expected to use a separate cash register to that end.

It is also expected to better track sales volumes and allow the possible blacklisting of customers.

Alcohol abuse is one of the main sources of delinquency, particularly among young people.