Text and Pic By Prageeth Janaka

A group of monks led by Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thero, the Sangha Nayaka of the Dakshina Lanka Chapter of the Ramanya Nikaaya on Thursday demanded the Government to withdraw its approval to open three new distilleries.

Addressing a press conference at Embilipitiya, Ven Sobitha Thero said that by endorsing such decisions, the Cabinet of Ministers is encouraging a drunken culture in the country that will lead to the breakdown of social values.

Ven Sobitha Thero questioned the purpose behind the Government’s interest to grant such licences and a drunken culture in the country, and alleged that it was reminiscent of the colonial strategy to distract the public from real issues of governance and failure.

“Today the people are struggling to eat and drink, there is no fuel and adequate foreign exchange, and the economy is in tatters. In such a situation, why is the Finance Ministry so keen to grant licenses for alcohol production? How can you solve people’s problems with alcohol,” he queried.

He added that such actions were against the principles of Buddhism and added that the World Health Organization too had pointed out that alcohol consumption grows at around 95% in Sri Lanka versus the global average of 55%.

Ven Sobitha Thero said that several new liquor licenses are to be issued by the Finance Ministry considering fresh applications submitted by local firms including two licensed liquor companies. At present there were 24 licensed companies are continuing the liquor production in the country and if the number of licence holders is increased then the Sri Lanka will have to face socio-economic and cultural problems. Even at present the country’s liquor production is more than the demand and increasing the number of licencees will bring disastrous affects, during the third wave of the pandemic.

Matara District SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana recently told Parliament that  Ministry of Finance had considered completing the ground work to process the licence applications for these liquor giants.

According to statistics tabled by the SJB MP in the House, Sri Lanka has about 24 licence holders producing liquor. However, the data showed that only five of these 24 companies are contributing 95% to the tax income generated from the country’s entire liquor industry.

The rest of the 19 producers either do not make ample profits or evade paying tax by not maintaining proper books.