News
Excise Dept.’s state-of-the-art lab to begin testing liquor soon
By Chaminda Silva
A newly built Excise Department laboratory, established to check the standards of legally manufactured alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, brandy, vodka, and beer currently available in the market, will be inaugurated soon, Excise Commissioner General Udaya Kumara Perera has said.
Perera told The Island that the facility would also test imported alcoholic beverages.
The laboratory has been set up in Pugoda at an estimated cost of Rs. 50 million. Random samples of alcoholic beverages collected from production facilities and the market would be submitted for testing, he said.
The Commissioner General stated that all information related to the samples submitted for testing would be treated as confidential. If any issues regarding quality are identified, the Excise Department would strictly enforce the law against the errant manufacturers, he said.
Sri Lanka Standards Institution had established specific guidelines for alcoholic beverages sold in the country, and the new laboratory would ensure compliance with these standards, Perera said. “At present, quality testing of alcoholic beverages is conducted by agencies such as the Government Analyst’s Department and the Industrial Technology Institute. However, the new laboratory conforms to ISO/IEC 17025 standards and will gain international accreditation once the certification process is complete.
The Excise Commissioner General revealed that approximately Rs. 200 million would be allocated from the forthcoming budget to upgrade the laboratory with advanced technology. “Work is already underway to recruit the necessary personnel and equip it with the required facilities.”
Under the supervision of the Commissioner General, Deputy Excise Commissioner (Research and Studies) Roshan Perera and a team of officials are currently overseeing the laboratory’s operations.
This initiative aims to enhance the quality assurance process of alcoholic beverages in Sri Lanka, improve standards, and ensure the safety of consumers.
Representatives from the ’The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce’ met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Wednesday [24th of June] at the Parliament premises.
During the meeting, discussions focused on the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2026 (SLEIS 2026), which is scheduled to be held on 12 and 13 October 2026. Attention was also given to digitalization initiatives, the introduction of digital technologies in schools under new education reforms, and the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Sri Lanka’s education sector.
Representatives of the Chamber noted that the summit would serve as an important platform for encouraging both local and foreign investment, while also contributing to the shaping of the country’s future economic policies.
The meeting was attended by Krishan Balendra, Chairman of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; Vinod Hirdaramani, Deputy Vice Chairman; Shiran Fernando, Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer; Aliki Perera, Deputy Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer; and Anagi Rodrigo-Weerasekera, Chief Economist and Head of Economic Intelligence, along with several other representatives.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
A discussion to review the progress of the housing project under which 4,700 houses are being constructed for the Malayagam community with Indian assistance was held this afternoon (24) at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabath Chandrakeerthi.
Under this housing programme, 2,026 houses are to be provided to families identified by the National Building Research Institute (NBRI) as being at disaster risk. The remaining houses are expected to be allocated to eligible workers residing in the plantation sector.
Accordingly, the houses will be provided to Malayagam community families living on estates belonging to 22 Regional Plantation Companies, as well as estates under the State Plantations Corporation, Janawasama and Elkaduwa Plantations.
For the construction of each house, the Government of India has allocated Rs. 2.8 million, while the Government of Sri Lanka has contributed Rs. 400,000.
During the discussion, Chandrakeerthi instructed officials to ensure that the housing project is completed before the end of this year. He further directed that land identified for the construction of houses be released without delay and that the National Building Research Institute provide the necessary reports to identify suitable land for the project.
The housing project is being implemented jointly by the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, the National Housing Development Authority, the State Engineering Corporation and the Plantation Human Development Trust.
Among those present were Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, K. S. Wijayakeerthi; Director General (Engineering), N. D. N. Pushpakumara; Director General (Planning), W. A. K. S. Damayanthi; the Secretary General of the Planters’ Association; and officials from the National Housing Development Authority, the State Engineering Corporation, relevant institutions and plantation companies.
(PMD)
It has been reported that Attorney at Law Rakitha Rajapakshe, the son of former Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over alleged links with the underworld.
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