(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – General Shavendra Silva, Army Commander and Head of the National Operations Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), has said today that permission will not be granted for online sale of liquor through supermarket delivery services.
The Commissioner General of Excise recently requested the Ministry of Finance to allow supermarkets to sell liquor online.
He made the request taking into account the requests received from various quarters and the risk of losing tax revenue in the long run.
Excise Department Commissioner General M.J. Gunasiri had said earlier this week that the continued prohibition on liquor sales due to the existing travel restrictions in the country has resulted losses of more than Rs. 15 billion in revenue to the government.
Many in the medical field, including the Government Medical Officers’ Association, have already pointed out to the government that the implementation of an online liquor supply program during the travel restriction period would be a major obstacle to the Covid-19 control program.
