CoA to reconsider petition seeking ban on rice, sugar in beer production

The Court of Appeal (CoA) has ordered today (July 30) that the writ petition seeking to prevent the use of rice and sugar as the primary raw materials in beer production be taken up again on Oct. 02.

The petition seeks an order directing the respondents, including the Commissioner General of Excise, not to approve the use of rice and sugar as the main ingredients in beer manufacturing.

The matter was taken up before Justices R. Gurusinghe and A. Prem Shankar. President’s Counsels K. Kanageeswaran, Sumathi Dharmawardena and Ali Sabry, appearing for several liquor manufacturing companies, sought additional time to file objections, which the court granted.

The petition was filed by a group of licensed liquor vendors, naming the Commissioner General of Excise and other Excise officials, the Sri Lanka Standards Institution, the Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police as respondents.

The petitioners argue that the Excise Ordinance defines beer as a fermented liquor made from malt, and contend that the use of rice and sugar as primary ingredients violates the law.

They further claim that diverting subsidised rice for commercial beer production undermines Sri Lanka’s goal of achieving self-sufficiency in rice and adversely affects the national economy.

The petition also alleges that the Sri Lanka Standards Institution has failed to update its standards framework to adequately regulate the quality of liquor production.

Accordingly, the petitioners are seeking a court order preventing the approval of rice and sugar as the primary raw materials in beer manufacturing.

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