December 07, Colombo (LNW): The Supreme Court yesterday issued an interim order suspending the operation of Gazette Notification No. 1/2024, which significantly increased annual excise license fees. The notification, issued by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as Finance Minister, had raised fees for distillery licenses from Rs. 1 million to Rs. 25 million and for Palmyra arrack licenses from Rs. 250,000 to Rs. 5 million.
The three-judge bench comprising Justices H. M. D. Nawaz, Kumudini Wickramasinghe, and Priyantha Fernando granted leave to proceed with a Fundamental Rights petition filed by the Sri Lanka Liquor Licensees Association. The association argued that the steep fee hike was unreasonable, caused severe financial hardship, and violated their constitutional rights.
The petitioners requested the Court to reinstate the levies outlined in a 2017 gazette notification, claiming the recent increases were unjust. The Finance Ministry Secretary and other officials were named as respondents in the case.
This interim order ensures that the excise license fees under Gazette No. 1/2024 will not be enforced until the case is resolved.
