Mozambique delays ban on ethanol-based alcohol by three months

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Mozambique delays ban on ethanol-based alcohol by three months

2:46 CAT | 17 Oct 2025

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Rádio Moçambique]

Government grants grace period for producers and retailers to sell stock, with strict enforcement to follow from 15 January, 2026.

The Mozambican government has postponed for three months the enforcement of the ban on the sale of ethanol-based alcoholic drinks up to 500 millilitres in volume, to allow producers and retailers to sell off existing stock, it was announced on Thursday (16-10).

“Following this three-month grace period, we will begin strict monitoring of compliance with these measures, which means production of drinks in containers under 500 millilitres will no longer be tolerated,” said Shaquila Mohamed, Inspector-General of Mozambique’s National Inspection of Economic Activities (INAE), the media reports today.

The government initially announced in early September that it would prohibit the use of ethanol, considered harmful to health, in the production of alcoholic beverages. Instead, agricultural ethyl alcohol will be used as the raw material. The decree was originally due to come into force on 11 October.

Previously, following complaints from various sectors of Mozambican society, the government had temporarily suspended the issuance of licences for the production and sale of alcoholic beverages to curb the proliferation of alcohol production and sales outlets, particularly near educational institutions, and to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol consumption, especially among young people.

The measure targets a practice that has become common in recent years: consumption near schools – including by underage students – of synthetic alcoholic drinks with high alcohol content, sold in small containers.

According to the INAE inspector, the three-month extension was granted, with the aim of preventing negative impacts on the economy, after it was recognised that large quantities of alcoholic drinks remain in storage at production and distribution units.

“This transitional measure will be accompanied by monitoring by authorities to ensure that no stock remains after the period ends,” said Shaquila Mohamed, promising sanctions against anyone who violates the rules after the three months, which will expire on 15 January, 2026.

The Mozambican government has pledged to continue monitoring beverage production facilities nationwide and to conduct laboratory testing of drinks to prevent the use of pure ethanol.

“The specific target is alcoholic drinks made from pure or synthetic ethanol that are harmful to health, with high alcohol content and questionable quality,” she concluded.

The 5 September decree, which bans the production and sale of these drinks, mandates the exclusive use of agricultural ethyl alcohol as raw material for manufacturing and standardising alcoholic beverages and prohibits the use of pure ethanol in the production process.

The regulation also prohibits the sale of alcoholic drinks in supermarkets, distributors, and liquor stores on Sundays from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Monday, “except in restaurants, eateries, nightclubs, and bars”.

The sale of alcoholic drinks within 500 metres of schools is also prohibited.

The government believes that implementing these measures will reduce the social harms of alcohol consumption, including “school absenteeism, crime, road accidents and workplace incidents”.

Source: Lusa