Excise Dept to keep close tab on liquor sales

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

The Excise Department has issued instructions to all licensed liquor shops, restaurants, hotels, night clubs and Karaoke restaurants to desist from selling liquor during the Sinhala and Tamil new year season. All liquor bars throughout the country will be closed for four days from April 12 - 15.

The Excise Department will keep a tab on restaurants and liquor outlets to ensure strict compliance of the directive. Meanwhile, several Excise teams will be on standby duty in Colombo and in the Provinces to strictly enforce the ban in keeping with the government's policy.

Any liquor shop, hotel or restaurant detected selling liquor during this period will be fined up to Rs. 5 lakhs by the Excise Department, the Excise Commissioner (Crimes and Training)) D.G.M.V. Hapuarachchi told the Sunday Observer.

He said the public could inform the Excise Department on hotline 2300170 if any bar, restaurant or hotel or any person is found selling liquor during this period. The Excise Department will prosecute persons involved in the sale or manufacture of illicit liquor during this period.