‘Impose entry fees, use live bands’

Fiji Performing Rights Association (FPRA) director Eremasi Tamanisau believes that nightclub owners should charge entry fee to patrons. In addition, operators should invest on having musicians or bands to provide entertainment. He made the statement as part of his submission during the review of nightclub operating hours’ public consultations held in Suva yesterday.

He suggested that nightclubs operate for eight hours like normal working hours from 6pm to 2am. Mr Tamanisau said imposing a fee would ensure that people entering the clubs had money and not entering the clubs to loiter without buying alcohol. He said this would ensure that nightclubs rule out unruly behaviour at the entrance.

Mr Tamanisau recommended that nightclubs only use live musical bands as this was a way entertainment would be controlled. He claimed music played nowadays talked about violence, sex and unruly behaviour.

Mr Tamanisau called on police to ensure that there was heavy police presence on the streets to ensure that everyone was safe at night. “For those with CCTV cameras, I thank you for this, for those without CCTV cameras, please do invest in one for the safety of all your patrons,” Mr Tamanisau said.

Musician and singer Seru Serevi said anyone was free to enter nightclubs if they were above 18 years old and most people just hung around for the sake of pick-pocketing and to cause trouble.

Mr Serevi also agreed on investing in live bands. Downunder Pub co-owner Caroline Cooke said the idea of live bands would not fit a certain age group, thus it was impossible for all nightclubs to invest in live bands.

She suggested that nightclubs open until 3am. “Reduce our hours of operation and we will not survive,” Ms Cooke said.