Port Vila Municipal Wardens have been urged to inspect the health and safety standards in more than 100 hundred kava bars around Port Vila.
The wardens have received instructions to start inspecting all kava bars operating in Port Vila today (Monday) to observe if the kava bar owners are abiding with the standards required by Business By-Law Levy Fee 20/2000 and in particular the Kava Control by-law.
A fundamental duty of the Port Vila Municipal Council as explained in section 25 (1) in the Municipalities Law is the town authority must ensure “to safeguard the public health” of the citizens of Port Vila.
As such the Port Vila Municipality passed a by-law to defend the healthiness of kava drinkers in Port Vila by ensuring that kava bar owners guarantee that the kava sellers in the kava bars are clean and healthy – always wash hands with water and soap before handling kava.
The by-law further prevents the person who sells kava from smoking and spitting close to where kava is sold, the person who sells kava in the nakamal must wear an apron, a head cover and hand gloves.
There are many other details which the kava bar owners require to have in his kava bar before the Port Vila Municipality can issue a Kava Business Levy to the owner of the kava nakamal.
And kava owners must have two toilets. One for men and another for female customers.
If the kava bar owners fail to satisfy the standards expected by the Municipal Wardens from the 10th of June 10 to June 30 the Vanuatu Bureau of Standards could order the temporary closure of the kava bars.
The conditions for Kava bars also applies to restaurants.
Photo RNZI