Govt. issues 538 soft alcohol licenses to boost tourism

Published

2 years ago

2023/09/10

(Economynext)The Government has issued 538 soft alcohol licenses under regulations started in 2022 to support the tourism sector, State Minister for Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said.

“Under a gazette notification in 2022 on a request by the tourism industry to promote tourism, the government began issuing soft liquor licenses,” Minister Siyambalapitiya told parliament.

“538 soft liquor licenses were issued after that. Anyone with a tourist permit was able to apply for this license for their restaurant.”

According to a World Health Organization report, since 2004 Sri Lanka’s illegal alcohol sales have gone up by 500 percent, compared to 50 percent legal sales, he said.

Sri Lanka has high taxes on legal alcohol which promote bootlegging.

“The government at no point promotes liquor usage,” Siyambalapitiya said. “The best example of this is that we tax close to 75 percent of the price of a bottle.

“But the government has to follow policies that promote tourism.”

He was responding to a question by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on issuing liquor licenses to vendors in proximity to schools.

“We have to ensure that these permits are issued to vendors in appropriate locations,” Siyambalapitiya said.

“This becomes an issue in non-tourist areas. Based on public complaints we have cancelled three liquor licenses in such vicinities, and we will do so in the future too.”

The lack of access to legal alcohol outlets can also promote moonshine sales, Siyambalapitiya said.

Authorities were conducting a review to find the spread of legal outlets.

“For example in Nuwara Eliya there are 115 outlets which is one for 6,809 persons,” Siyambalapitya said.

“But in Mullaitivu there is one for 990,000 persons.”

A total of 4,570 permits of 25 different categories have been issued, Siyambalapitiya said.

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Commander of USINDOPACOM Admiral Samuel J. Paparo calls on President Dissanayake

Published

1 hour ago

2025/03/21

Priyan

A meeting between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), was held today (21) at the Presidential Secretariat.

During the discussion, Admiral Paparo extended his best wishes to President Disanayake and the new government on their planned initiatives. He also acknowledged Sri Lanka’s continued support in ensuring the security of the Indian Ocean region and maintaining a peaceful maritime environment.

Furthermore, Admiral Paparo reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to strengthening the enduring bilateral ties between the two nations and expressed support for Sri Lanka’s new governmental policies.

President Disanayake conveyed his appreciation for the assistance provided by the United States in enhancing human resources within Sri Lanka’s defence sector. The President also acknowledged the longstanding support extended by the U.S. in this regard.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung, Lieutenant Colonel Anthony C. Nelson of the U.S. Army, and Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the United States Indo-Pacific Command David Ranz were also present at the meeting.

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SriLankan Airlines flights to and from London Heathrow airport cancelled today

Published

6 hours ago

2025/03/21

Priyan

SriLankan Airlines has announced that SriLankan Airlines flights UL 503 (Colombo to London Heathrow), scheduled to depart at 12:50 hrs and UL 504 (London Heathrow to Colombo), scheduled to depart at 20:40 hrs today [21 March 2025], have been cancelled.

Passengers requiring assistance are encouraged to contact the SriLankan Airlines Customer Centre at 1979 (within Sri Lanka), +94117 77 1979 (international) or +94744 44 1979 (WhatsApp chat) or reach out to their nearest SriLankan Airlines office or their travel agent.

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London’s Heathrow airport shuts after fire causes power outage

Published

6 hours ago

2025/03/21

Priyan

[Aljazeera file pic]

The United Kingdom’s Heathrow airport has closed until midnight on Friday due to a power outage, throwing the plans of tens of thousands of travellers into chaos.

London’s main airport, which is Europe’s busiest gateway, said on Friday that it had suffered a “significant” power failure due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the facility.

“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March,” Heathrow airport said in a post on X.

“Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience.”

Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said the shutdown would affect “at least” 1,351 flights.

“We’re trying to stop passengers from travelling to the airport, and then work with airline partners on flights that are delayed, diverted, or cancelled,” a Heathrow spokesperson told Al Jazeera. “Passengers can reach out to airline partners to work on rebooking.”

Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull, reporting from London, said the roads leading to the airport were blocked, causing “traffic chaos locally”.

“But local traffic disruption is nothing compared to the air traffic disruptions that will be spreading around the world,” he said.

Heathrow is one of the most globally connected airports and regularly ranks among the top five busiest gateways worldwide.

The airport serves more than 200 destinations in nearly 90 different countries and territories, and last year handled nearly 84 million passengers, the largest number on record.

[Aljazeera]