February 04, Colombo (LNW): The Ministry of Finance has announced revisions to the Annual Excise Licence fees, effective from 01 February, impacting various establishments, including taverns and liquor retail outlets.
Key adjustments include maintaining the Rs. 25 million fee for new taverns, while reducing the Annual Tavern Licence fee from Rs. 2.5 million to Rs. 2 million.
The changes aim to streamline licensing costs for existing taverns.
Furthermore, the licence fee for the bottling of coconut toddy has been adjusted from Rs. 10 million to Rs. 1.5 million, and for palmyra toddy, it has been reduced to Rs. 500,000.
In a similar vein, the licence fee for manufacturing vinegar has been decreased from Rs. 2.5 million to Rs. 500,000.
The Retail Licence for Liquor in Municipal Areas has seen a reduction from Rs. 15 million to Rs. 1 million, and in Urban Council areas, the fee has been adjusted from Rs. 12.5 million to Rs. 800,000.
For all other areas, the licence fee has been reduced from Rs. 10 million to Rs. 600,000.
These revisions align with the government’s efforts to strike a balance between industry interests and regulatory objectives while ensuring that licensing fees remain reasonable and conducive to the smooth operation of businesses in the specified sectors.
