• According to the statistics tabled by the SJB MP in the House, Sri Lanka has about 24 license holders to produce liquor

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana  

Controversy surrounds over attempts by five leading liquor manufacturing giants in the country to get more licenses to produce various other alcoholic beverages, despite the fact that the present Government’s popular theme on ‘Mathata Thitha’ or end to alcoholism, Excise Trade Unions said.  

Five leading hard liquor manufacturing companies including a top notch arrack distiller in the country had already applied for the license allowing them to produce various other types of brews especially beer, wine and cider and it is reported that the main regulatory body the Department of Excise has forwarded the documents to the subject Ministry of Finance for approval, the TUs said.   
Excise Commissioner General M. J. Gunasena told the media over the weekend that although they have received applications for liquor production licenses from five well-known manufacturers, they are yet to arrive at a decision to grant them such permits.   The TUs pointed out that even the Ministry of Finance have considered fulfilling its ground work to process the license applications for these liquor giants.   

Opposition Parliamentarian Buddhika Pathirana made this startling revelation a fortnight ago about these attempts by the Government to grant more and more liquor manufacturing licenses to several handpicked companies.   According to the statistics tabled by the SJB MP in the House, Sri Lanka has about 24 license holders to produce liquor. However, the data further showed that only five of these 24 companies are contributing 95% to the tax income generated from the country’s entire liquor industry.   

The rest of the 19 producers either do not make ample profits or evade paying tax by not maintaining its standards.Therefore, the Trade Unions question as to which purpose the Government or the Department of Excise are considering granting more production license to said companies, as it could lead only to doubts of corruption.  Attempts made to contact Excise Spokesperson or Secretary to the Ministry of Finance for comment was futile.