News
Retail licences for liquor manufacturers cost State coffers dear – Dayasiri
The State coffers would not be able rake in what it was due to it by way of excise duty as long as liquor producers continued to hold licences for retail sale of liquor, Parliament was told.
Dissident SLPP MP and SLFP General Secretary, Dayasiri Jayasekera, participating in the debate on the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill, on Friday, said that a large number of liquor-producing licence holders also had licences for
running liquor outlets. “Some of them own five to six bars. This is illegal as per the provisions of the Excise Ordinance. But they continue to produce and sell the liquor in their own outlets. They run the business from factory to bar without facing any difficulty and submit false figures to the Excise Department I have a list of names of the liquor producers who have bar licenses. Among them are the IDL, East India Retailing Pvt Ltd, Manori Lanka Pvt Ltd etc. As I have no time to read the entire list, I hope to table this list.
“I think there are Excise officers in the Officials’ Box in the House right now. Even if they are not there, it is the duty of the Finance Ministry to probe this illegal business. These liquor producers have deprived the government coffers of a massive sum of money in this manner. It is illegal for the licensed liquor producers to have licences for retail trade. The Excise Department or the Finance Ministry must probe this and put an end to this illegal practice.”
The situation report issued by the Disaster Management 1000hrs today [06th January 2026] confirms that 21,514 persons belonging to 6,592 family units who were displaced due to the floods and landslides are still at 225 safety centers.
Z total of 6,037 houses were destroyed while 108,476 houses were partially damaged due to floods and landslides.
Latest News
Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale, Monaragala and Nuwara Eliya
The landslide early warning center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale, Monaragala and Nuwara Eliya in force from 1200hrs on 06th January to 1200hrs on 07th January 2026.
Accordingly,
Level III RED landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Udadumbara in the Kandy district, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district.
Level II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Kandaketiya in the Badulla district, Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Hanguranketha and Mathurata in the Nuwara Eliya district.
Level I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Hali_Ela, Badulla, Passara, Lunugala, Welimada and * Meegahakiwula in the Badulla district, Doluwa in the Kandy district, Ambanganga Korale in the Matale district, and Bibila in the Monaragala district.
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology has issued an advisory at 11.30 pm on 05 January 2026 regarding a low pressure area over South-east Bay of Bengal Sea area.
The low-level atmospheric disturbance in the Bay of Bengal, to the southeast of the Sri Lanka has intensified into a low-pressure area.
Hence, showery condition over the island, particularly
in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces is expected to enhance from January 8th.
The Meteorological Department is constantly monitoring the behavior of the system.
The general public are requested to be attentive to the future forecasts and bulletins issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regards.
21,514 persons remain at 225 safety centers as at 10AM today [06]
Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale, Monaragala and Nuwara Eliya
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