The new rate will come into effect next month
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Gizo
The Western Provincial Full Assembly has approved a significant increase in liquor license fees for the 2026/2027 Financial Year, sparking immediate concerns from the Assembly’s Non-Executive Committee (NEC).
The new fee structure, which was given a greenlight during recent deliberations, is set to take effect on 1 April 2026.
Under the approved schedule, some fees in rural areas will double, with many categories seeing hikes of more than 90%.
According to the new fee schedule for rural areas:
Retail Full and Publican Full licenses will see a 100% increase to $2,500.00.
Night Club licenses have jumped by 95% to a new fee of $10,000.00.
Wholesale licenses increased by 82% to $5,000.00.
Residential and Restaurant fees have also risen to $2,500.00.
In a press release issued on Friday, the opposition group expressed its strong dislike to the increases, warning of “drastic social consequences” for rural communities.
The NEC highlighted several risks associated with the fee hikes, including a potential surge in the unlawful production and consumption of “home-brewed” alcohol and an expansion of black-market activities.
They further warned that these economic shifts could lead to rising social disorder and law and order challenges in areas already suffering from a lack of adequate policing.
“The Approved Recurrent Budget for the final year 2026/2027 contains no allocations for rural policing,” the NEC statement noted, suggesting that communities will be left vulnerable to the fallout of these increases.
The Non-Executive Committee expressed regret that it was unable to defeat the reviewed fees in the Assembly due to insufficient numbers.
The move has raised questions among rural stakeholders regarding the balance between provincial revenue generation and the social stability of the Western Province’s more remote regions.
