Interested parties have 30 days from the 24th of January to submit comments. Some of the provisions are relevant to role players in the wine industry. These include the introduction of a new type of liquor licence being a wine club licence which allows for the sale of wine only to members of a wine club. The Bill also provides for specific licenses for boats and for airport lounges. The Bill introduces a number of changes which will make it more difficult to obtain a liquor licence. Applicants for new licenses will have to provide proof of their BEE status. The Bill also states that the Liquor Board may consider the population versus the number of outlets in a particular area. According to Danie Cronjé, the Director of Liquor Law Services at Cluver Markotter Incorporated, the Bill contains some provisions which will be detrimental to the wine industry. These include the fact that a micro-manufacturer, such as a winery, brewery, or distillery may only sell the liquor it produces to the holders of liquor licenses and have to apply for special permission to the Liquor Board to sell to the public. The Bill also retains the provision in the current Gauteng Liquor Act which prohibits supermarkets from selling wine with an alcohol content above 14%. According to Cronjé, the Western Cape Liquor Act will allow supermarkets to sell wine with an alcohol content of up to 16.5%. “We expect our clients in the retail industry and in the wine industry will request us to make representations to the Gauteng Department to amend this provision." The Bill also contains a prohibition against the sale of liquor to pregnant women. It follows the Western Cape in prohibiting passengers of drinking liquor in a car.