The government is now accepting bids for the first of more than 51 private liquor stores in the province.
Five new licenses went up for grabs on Thursday, with three in Saskatoon and two in Regina.
Liquor and gaming minister Don McMorris said it is all part of the plan to sell off the province’s least profitable liquor outlets and to open the door to more competition.
Dozens of other license applications will be rolled out over the coming weeks, and McMorris said there has been a lot of interest.
“I know a lot of people have been waiting for this process to begin, “he said. “Certainly my office has received a lot of inquiries from individuals and businesses and I understand the SLGA has also received numerous inquiries over the past few months.”
In total the government will sell 40 of its 75 stores and will issue 11 new licenses, leaving the province with 25 government-run liquor stores and 51 private stores. McMorris said he expects all of the stores will be up and running within 18 months.
The way the system will work is prospective new clients will not be obligated to continue operations at current locations. An old store will stay open until a new one opens in its place.
Employee groups can also express interest in taking over an operation. If they are unsuccessful they will be offered severance packages or may be able to exercise bumping rights.