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| Sunday, 13 June 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Kitul tapping: Call to remove restrictions by Anura Maitipe They like to climb the kitul tree again. Why? To provide more jobs and expand the age-old kitul tapping industry. Every one would like it for its soothing taste and the industry would expand, W. M. Punchi Appuhamy who leads the Kitul Toddy Tappers' Association, said. They have urged the government to remove restrictions placed on them under the Excise Ordinance to expand it as a local industry to create employment opportunities for rural youth. In 1970, when the United Front Government was in power, tappers were allowed to tap kitul to manufacture treacle, juggery and vinegar. This was a main source of income for many thousands of families who lived in Kegalle, Ratnapura, Matara and Galle districts, Appuhamy said. With the enforcement of restrictions on the issue of permits for toddy tappers by the UNP regime in 1977, the kitul tapping industry almost collapsed and it paved the way for illicit kassippu dealers and tavern owners to thrive, he pointed out. Since coconut toddy was one of the main ingredients in the manufacture of arrack, there was no restriction on coconut tapping industry. The restrictions were imposed only on kitul toddy tapping and this was a big blow, he claimed. There were no restrictions on the number of coconut trees that could be tapped by each tapper and they were free to store toddy and sell a limited quantity in the open market. But each kitul tapper was allowed to tap only three trees and they were not allowed either to store their produce on the ground or sell, he said. When contacted, a top executive official of the Ministry of Finance said this situation had resulted due to the prevalent colonial British regulations under the Excise Ordinance. |
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