How the alcohol levy nearly killed St Louis

The Ministry of Health and Wellness last year commissioned the Botswana Institute of Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA) to study the impact of the alcohol levy. Government officials have slowly revealed titbits from the study as they traverse the country in the ongoing consultations on the levy and trading hours.

The full study, made available recently to Mmegi, shows that as the cost of getting drunk rose over the years since the levy’s inception in 2008, drinkers migrated to stronger products, treading St Louis underfoot.