Expat Bar Owners Angry About New Licenses

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Expat Bar Owners Angry About New Licenses which they say are holding their businesses to ransom

Expat Bar Owners Angry About New Licenses

Expat Bar Owners Angry About New Licenses

Expat bar owners on the Costa Del Sol have been left reeling by new entertainment license regulations which are being enforced by some councils.  Several major venues have had their licenses revoked this week by the new Mayor of Marbella, Angeles Muñoz has already taken away the entertainment license for Sisu, famous for it’s champagne spray parties and celebrity events.

Bandit Woman

The new Mayor Of Marbella

Local councils are now taking this crackdown a step further, and reevaluating the entertainment licenses held by most bars on the Costa Del Sol.  Some smaller establishments don’t play live music or host entertainment, and so far have not been required to have an entertainment license.  However, the Committee For Vague Regulations And Licenses has announced that a simple conversation between more than two people is now classed as entertainment.

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Talking Tax

From the 1st of October 2017 any British owned establishment where more than two people are engaged in conversation must have the new entertainment license.  Bar owners are calling the new license a “talking tax”.  Bob Bluster runs the “Yorkshire Hole” pub in Benalmadena, he said “This is just another way to extort money out of hard working, honest expats like myself.  It’s an outrage. I don’t know why they are targeting Brits, everyone here loves us”

Pulling Pint

Bob Bluster pulling a pint. He asked that we didn’t show his face.

Mr. Bluster feels victimised and unwelcome.  He says “It’s as if they don’t want us Brits here, which is unfair because we pay our way.  I’ve even got a member of staff who pays tax.  Sometimes.  How can they make us have a license just so that people can talk to each other?”

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Geoffrey Bungle, originally from Birmingham, doesn’t have a problem with the new rules.  He told Costa Del Sol Update “I’m not from Birmingham actually, I’m from Solihull, but never mind that.  I run a bar in Riviera Del Sol which is full of expat pensioners.  They don’t talk to each other anyway.  The husbands and wives just sit there staring into their drinks, occasionally grunting and going to change their wee bags in the bathroom.  It won’t affect us.”

Crackdown On British Owned Venues

Jose Santos is the council leader in south east Calahonda, he says it’s about time action was taken.  “Some venues, mainly British run venues, have been flouting the law for years.  We’re going to get tough now.  There will be no dodging these new rules.  If people are talking, then bar owners will be paying.  It’s that simple.  The license is cheap anyway.  It costs between €5 and €729 a day, depending on the size of establishment.”

Busy Bar

People drinking in a bar, possibly on the Costa Del Sol

Defiant Bar Owners

Bar owners are saying that they will do everything possible to avoid paying for the new license.  Brendan O’Shyte from “The Desperate Shamrock” in Estepona says “It’s simple, I just won’t let my customers talk anymore.  They shouldn’t need to talk anyway, we have great singers and DJ’s on everynight.  Erm. No we don’t.  We really don’t. No.  We’d need an entertainment license for that so no we don’t do that. No, for sure, no.”

Written by Piers Morghan, Costa Del Sol Update

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