Shania Shayal Prasad 
Residents of Namoli village in Lautoka have added their voice to the ongoing consultation for the review of nightclub opening hours, proposing that nightclubs should close at either 12 or 1 a.m.
Currently, all nightclubs in Fiji open at 5 p.m. and close at 5 a.m , but the Attorney General, Siromi Turaga, says a review is necessary to address social concerns that have been raised.
He states that nightclubs were initially intended for tourist leisure, but they are now being misused by certain individuals.
“Since they come here for tourist purposes, they work all the time in their lives and hope they spend all their money in terms of going to places and, of course, nightclubs, but what has been found or revealed is that it is i-Taukei population who are out there on the streets around 4 or 5 a.m.”
Turaga says many patrons are said to be intoxicated, while others are there to cause trouble.
“I’m told that even from Vatua and here in Namoli, when the nightclubs close, they go to Martintar. Now what happens is that we all know that it is an acknowledged fact that 75 percent of i-Taukei population lives below the poverty line. The money that is supposed to be used for family and church purposes is used elsewhere, mainly in nightclubs.”
Meanwhile, nightclub owners in Suva have recommended a 4 a.m. closing time for nightclubs.
The consultation on the review of nightclub opening hours is ongoing across various parts of the country, and a decision is expected to be made in due course.
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