Govt. tables list of 361 liquor licenses issued this year

Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Rathnayake today tabled in Parliament the list of liquor licenses that had been issued by the Excise Department this year. 

Minister Rathnayake said the list that had been provided by the Excise Department, was being tabled so that MPs and the public can see for themselves who had been issued these licenses. 

According to the list that was tabled in Parliament this evening, 361 liquor licenses were issued  by the Excise Department during the period from January 1 to October 6, 2024. A total of 110 new liquor licenses had been issued in the Western Province during this period. The number of licenses issued during the same period in the Southern Province was 48 while 32 licenses were issued for the Northern Province. Liquor licenses issued for other provinces are as follows: Eastern - 22, Central - 45, North-Central - 14, North-Western - 30, Uva- 30, Sabaragamuwa - 30.

Minister Rathnayake also revealed to Parliament that 172 "FL 4" licenses, which are the licenses issued enabling the retail sale of liquor in what are commonly known as "wine stores," had been issued this year. Referring to the controversy surrounding claims that some of these new licenses had been issued to MPs, Minister Rathnayake claimed the licenses had been used by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe as a "political bribe" to induce MPs to change sides. 

Following is the complete list tabled in Parliament this evening by Minister Rathnayake: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1obQVyQPZKKYLmMphCEowaS8l2M1zPUP7/view?pli=1