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Upmarket liquor licences under review, hoteliers protest
View(s):The licences of 412 liquor outlets – including those in star class hotels, upmarket restaurants and sports clubs – are being reviewed following a directive by President Maithripala Sirisena to the authorities to crack down on those violating the standard regulations.
Presidential Secretary P.B. Abeykoon told the Sunday Times the Excise Department and the police had been directed to conduct the review and report back to the President soon. He said no fresh liquor licences had been issued by the present administration and that the intention was to slash the present number.Excise Commissioner L.K.G. Gunawardene said the liquor outlets currently under review were those situated near schools and places of worship.
He said the Survey Department had been asked to work out the proximity. But so far only 10 per cent of the total figure had been finalised. He said that after the survey report was completed, the issue would be taken up with the Attorney General’s Department on a case by case basis. He pointed out that 18 such outlets had filed fundamental rights petitions in the Supreme Court to prevent any action.
At present there are an estimated 3,500 licensed liquor traders throughout the country, contributing about Rs 100 billion to the state coffers every year. According to the Excise Ordnance Act, it is illegal to operate liquor stores, bars or related outlets within 500 metres of schools or places of worship.
City Hotelier’s Assoctaion President M. Shanthikumar said the authorities should not mix religion, education and culture with the policy of encouraging tourism. “For instance, Thailand is a pre-dominantly Theravada Buddhist nation but it is a leading tourist destination that encourages alcohol and the country is prosperous in that sector. If the President’s directive should reach the wire then the liquor outlets at the Queens Hotel in Kandy will have to be shut since it is situated in close proximity to the Dalada Maligawa. This is just one example,” Mr. Shanthikumar said.
He said these hotels had been operating for more than four decades and their setting up with the liquor outlets was approved by the Tourist Board and the Excise Department. “At the moment we are looking at a 2.5 million tourist arrivals into the country and towards this end all stakeholders including the government must act accordingly.”
Ad hoc decisions will not help this cause, he warned.
On last Thursday, President Sirisena told a meeting in Ja-Ela that the Treasury at present was heavily dependent on the income from the liquor industry but he hoped to end this dependence by 2020. The President was speaking at a national ceremony to mark the start of a new war on narcotics smuggling, the abuse of alcohol and cigarettes.