To mitigate counterfeit stickers on liquor bottles New digital security sticker should be introduced: MP Patali Champika

By Yohan Perera and Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

To mitigate the present crisis of counterfeit security  stickers on liquor bottles that incur a loss of billions of rupees to the  government, a new digital security sticker should be introduced, was  opined by Parliamentarian Patali Champika Ranawaka. 

The MP said by introducing a new digital security sticker  many issues could be answered including calculating the correct tax  revenue to the state as well the public has an assurance about the  authenticity of the alcoholic beverage they consume.   

MP Ranawaka made these remarks when the Committee on Ways  and Means gathered at the Parliament yesterday with the representatives  of the Department of Excise. It was revealed that more than 90 per cent of liquor bottles that have come under inspection by the Excise  Department consisted of counterfeit stickers.   

The officials of the Excise Department had informed the  Ways and Means Committee that 55,000 bottles out of the total of 60,533 bottles that had come under inspection have been found to be  counterfeit stickers.   

MP Ranawaka who is the Chairman of the Ways and Means  Committee requested the Excise Department to provide a full report on  the inspection carried out on counterfeit stickers. He said a QR code  could be included in the new digital sticker, which could gain details  of the authenticity of a liquor bottle to be sold in the market.   

Ranawaka also instructed the Excise Department to determine  whether there were liquor producing companies, which had continued to  use counterfeit stickers even after getting apprehended for using  counterfeit stickers.