News
Five leading manufacturers seek licences to produce more brands of booze
No business like liquor trade even during deadly pandemic
By Saman Indrajith
Controversy surrounds attempts by five leading liquor manufacturing companies in the country to secure new liquor producing licences, while the country is reeling from the effects of the deadly pandemic, Excise Trade Union sources say.
Five leading hard liquor manufacturing companies had applied for licences to produce new brews including wine and cider and the main regulatory body the Department of Excise had forwarded them to the Ministry of Finance for approval, union sources said.
Excise Commissioner General M.J. Gunasena told the media over the weekend that although they had received applications for liquor production licences from five well-known manufacturers, they had not yet decided to issue permits.
The trade union leader said that even the Ministry of Finance had considered completing the ground work to process the licence applications for these liquor giants.
Matara District SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana made this revelation a fortnight ago about these attempts by the government to grant more liquor manufacturing licenses to several companies.
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.
Excise Spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Kapila Kumarasinghe or Secretary to the Ministry of Finance were not immediately available for comment.
The Chartered Computer Institute of Sri Lanka was established in 1976 as the premier and sole body representing professionals in the Information and Communication Technology sector in Sri Lanka. It has recognized the importance of establishing the Sri Lanka Chartered Computer Association as the main professional organization to act on behalf of the interests of professionals representing the computer sector in Sri Lanka, which should be treated equally with other professional organizations that have obtained chartered status and other formal recognition.
Accordingly, taking into account a resolution furnished by the Hon. President, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to grant policy approval for the establishment of the Chartered Computer Institute of Sri Lanka and to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill in line with the proposed objectives.
it has become essential to introduce appropriate revisions to the Drug Dependent Persons (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act No 54 of 2007 so that a proper formal mechanism can be maintained in treatment and rehabilitation.
Accordingly, considering a resolution forwarded by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to grant the policy approval to revise the Drug Dependent Persons (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act No 54 of 2007 and direct the Legal Draftsman to formulate a draft bill including the relevant amendments.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to appoint Mrs. O. T. M. I. Thilakarathne, the senior most officer in Sri Lanka Surveyors’ Service serving as an Additional Surveyor General of that Department to the Post of Surveyor General that will be vacant from 20.08.2026.
Charted Computer Institute of Sri Lanka to be established
Drug Dependent Persons (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act No 54 of 2007 to be amendmend
Mrs. O. T. M. I. Thilakarathne appointed to the Post of Surveyor General
Purchase of 600 buses for intercity / long distance services of the Sri Lanka Transport Board
Protection of Historical, Cultural, and Traditional Intellectual Property related to the Kandy Esala Perahera
Development of roads which are not under the Road Development Authority
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Business3 days ago‘Giving up was never an option’: The fisherman who fought back after losing millions in SL
-
Features3 days agoTwo memorable excerpts from a former SLAF commander’s memoir
-
Latest News3 days agoDavis cup Asia/Oceania Group IV 2026 to be held in Colombo from 20th to 25th July
-
Features3 days agoErdoğan’s New Republic
-
Life style3 days agoTaste of the Swiss Alps comes to Colombo
-
Features7 days agoDirty Money
-
News4 days agoDengue outbreak gallops ahead: Infections surpasses 73,455, leaving 50 dead
-
News4 days agoEvidence recorded in money laundering case against Yoshitha Rajapaksa