Suva nightclub owners will meet on Tuesday to discuss the continuing problem of drunken people on the streets.

Jack Tavanavanua, president of the Nightclub Association of Suva Zone, has called on Police to crack down on outlets that sell liquor illegally.

He said the zone idea was designed to have people in a controlled area to avoid drinking in public places.

“The Government has done a lot for us,” Mr Tavanavanua said.

“We pay turnover tax every month, but the blackmarket operators do not pay tax.”

He accused them of supplying the liquor that drove drunkards to public places to drink. Without this liquor people would go home, he said.

He said nightclubs were observing the legal opening hours from 5pm to 4am.

“For some of us we open late at 9pm. That’s when customers start to come in,” Mr Tavanavanua said.

“We do not open 24 hours. What worries me is the liquor, people are getting, from illegal operators.”

He was commenting on a Fiji Sun report that people were still drinking in public places despite Police warnings and crackdowns.

The Police have said that they were doing their best to contain the problem.

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