But unions say Madras Security Printer the number one culprit

Excise Commissioner General Saman Jayasinghe has ordered liquor manufacturing companies to install CCTV cameras by 30 Sept., in their factories allowing centralised observation by the Excise officials as a measure to prevent the use of forged revenue stickers on bottles of liquor. He has warned that noncompliance would lead to the cancellation of their licences.

The directive was given by Jayasinghe during a meeting with the heads of liquor producing companies at the Excise Headquarters at Rajagiriya on Monday.Jayasinghe told the liquor manufacturers that President Ranil Wickremesinghe had personally instructed him that severe action should be taken against those involved in forged sticker scam irrespective of their position and rank in the Department.

President Wickremesinghe had pointed out that this scam cannot go on without the knowledge of both liquor producers and retail sellers and their actions continue to drain the excise revenue due to the government, Jayasinghe said.

Meanwhile, the Unity of Excise Trade Unions issuing a statement following the directive of Excise Commissioner General said that the responsibility for the crisis caused by the forged revenue stickers should be apportioned on few Excise officers and the Madras Security Printers who supply the stickers to the Department to be distributed among the liquor producers. “It is our understanding that not all the Excise Department officials should be held responsible for this scam. There are a handful of senior officers who protect the MSP continuing with the supply of these stickers.

Even if the Excise officers seize liquor bottles with forged stickers, the MSP has not provided the department with the technology needed for subsequent legal processes. The agreement with the MSP was finalised during the Yahapalana rule in 2019 but the date of commencement is considered as Jan 03, 2022 so that the agreement is to continue till Jan 02, 2027. Since 2019, the MSP sympathizers put the blame on excise officers while a huge sum of money being taken to India, because the MSP charges 5.99 USD for 1,000 stickers whether they are paper or digital,” the statement signed by Nirosh Jayakody, Co-Secretary of the Unity said.

It said that the MSP is a blacklisted Indian company for notorious violations of agreements and contracts with many countries around the world. “We are aware of the invisible hand that made it possible for the entering of this contract with the MSP and we are ready to reveal the names and positions of those who were involved in this affair. Cause of most problems pertaining to the fool-proof revenue stickers was the MSP’s dubious conduct and its ability to get away without accountability,” Jayakody said, adding that the Unity may be compelled to make many revelations in the coming days if those with vested interests continue to hold excise officials responsible for the revenue sticker scam.