Excise Commissioner General hits back at their accusers

By Chaminda Silva

Excise Commissioner General M.G. Gunasiri has said that liquor shop and bar owners have ganged up to prevent the Excise Department from issuing liquor licences to Supermarkets because it will be a threat to their monopoly.

Addressing the media at the Excise Headquarters in Rajagiriya yesterday, Gunasiri said that liquor shop owners had spread falsehood via social media against giving liquor selling licences to supermarkets.

Commissioner General Gunasiri said that there were around 1,200 liquor shops in the country and they had received many complaints of illegal activities in them. There were many complaints of liquor outlet owners engaging in illegal practices such as adulteration and selling illicit liquor. Compared to them the supermarkets have sold liquor without complaints of such illegal activities. The Excise Department had recently introduced a fool-proof sticker on liquor bottles. Following the introduction of the sticker the revenue of the department had increased by 17 percent. This sticker had hindered the illegal operations of liquor shop owners who sold counterfeits. “The liquor shop owners now have teamed up against the Excise Department. They have made certain allegations pertaining to the issuance of liquor selling licenses to the super markets. We are taking legal actions against those who made wild allegations. Further to that in issuance of liquor licences to the supermarkets we have maintained a policy of transparency so that information pertaining to anyone is available at request,” Commissioner General Gunasiri said.

The department had recorded an increase of revenue from Rs. 121 billion rupees in 2020 to Rs 140 billion in 2021, the Commissioner General said, adding that the recorded increase of revenue was due to the fool-proof sticker.