Sri Lanka to introduce flexible operating hours for liquor outlets

A new excise licensing system allowing for more flexible operating hours of liquor stores, in a bid to discourage the illicit selling of liquor and to maintain industry discipline is set to be introduced for the Excise Department, President Ranil Wickremesinghe revealed.

The new licensing system also allows for the streamlining of the guidelines issued for various types of liquor licenses, the revision of those regulations related to activities concerning tourism promotion, the introduction of an appropriate policy for soft liquor licenses, and the maintenance of discipline within the industry at the highest possible level.

Meanwhile, an online license-issuing system is also set to be introduced, so as to provide a “customer-friendly and effective regulatory environment”, while an administrative fees on the services provided by the Excise Department will also be introduced.

President Wickremesinghe also stated that a committee will be appointed to evaluate the security features and their management systems, in order to address an array of issues including fake or counterfeit stickers.

Delivering the parliamentary speech on the 2024 Budget on Monday afternoon (13 Nov.), President Wickremesinghe further noted that Sri Lanka Standards (SLS) certifications will also be introduced for toddy and all other types of locally manufactured liquor, while the toddy tender system is also set to be revised in a manner that would allow for an increased gain of revenue.

By doing so, the government also aims to put a stop to the country’s illicit toddy industry, the President said,

In a similar vein, the Excise License fees is also slated to be increased in proportion to the ongoing demand for said licenses, while new investments are being encouraged for new types of liquor products, targeting the foreign market specifically.

Aiming to not only maintain the quality of products while targeting both, local and foreign, markets, but also to further expand the scope of Sri Lanka’s liquor market, President Ranil noted that measures are also underway to make selected locally produced liquor available at Duty Free outlets.