• Six leading supermarket chains submit applications
• Excise to introduce 10 new conditions to regulate online liquor sales
• NOCPCO likely to take up topic at today’s meeting with President

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

The Department of Excise, the competent authority regulating the laws relating to alcoholic beverages received the ‘green light’ from the Ministry of Finance yesterday to let selected supermarket chains to sell liquor online during the travel restrictions but awaits final approval from the NOCPCO (National Operation Centre for Prevention of Covid 19 Outbreaks) to execute the decision.  

The Excise Commissioner General issuing a press communiqué yesterday afternoon confirmed that the subject ministry, the Ministry of Finance had approved the request made by the former to grant a selected set of supermarket chains to sell their stocks of liquor through online purchasing /delivery similar to other essential goods sold during previous occasions.   

The department however, awaits the final approval from the board of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) chaired by the Army Commander General Shavendra Silva and top dignitaries including the Director General of Health Services.   

Departmental Spokesman Excise Commissioner Kapila Kumarasinghe told the Daily Mirror last night that six leading chain supermarket companies including Cargills (Ceylon) PLC, Keells, Arpico Super Center, Lanka Sathosa, Softlogic Glomark and Spar Sri Lanka have already submitted application to sell liquor online and home deliver from their licensed outlets.   

As a result the Excise Department endorsed all these chain supermarkets that own more than one hundred liquor stores countrywide registered under the FL 04 (Foreign Liquor) license to sell all kinds of alcoholic beverages, to apply for the special permission to sell their stocks online.   

The Commissioner said the preliminary approval from the department was granted to these supermarket chains that have already fulfilled the basic requirements of maintaining a website of their products enabling online transactions and facilities to make deliveries.   

“Any wine store with the basic technology of maintaining a website of products with online transaction and delivery facilities could apply for this opportunity, of course with their FL 04 license in hand empowering them to sell booze,” Commissioner Kumarasinghe said.   

Asked how the department would regulate the new system of sales, the Excise Spokesman said that they have already drafted about ten conditions regarding the new online sales in addition to the prevailing general laws pertaining to the sale of alcoholic beverages under the Excise Ordinance. 

 
“We will publish and introduce these new conditions to the public as well as to the chain supermarkets, as soon as we get the final approval from the health services and NOCPCO enabling online sales,” Mr. Kumarasinghe said.   
He further said this move to let supermarket chains to relieve their stocks of liquor is vital from their point of view, as these companies have spent a massive amount of money to maintain daily stocks and also it pays a substantial amount of tax revenue to the government.   

When contacted a senior official from the NOCPCO told the Daily Mirror that they have received the proposal from the Department of Excise but it had not been taken up for discussion at yesterday’s meeting. 

 
The officer said it is likely to be taken up at today’s meeting of the Presidential Task Force to be presided over by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat.