A writ petition was before the Court of Appeal yesterday (18) seeking an order directing the Excise Commissioner General (CG) and others not to grant approval for the use of rice and sugar as primary raw materials in beer production.

The petition, filed by a group of licensed liquor retailers, has named the Excise CG, officials of the Excise Department, the Standards Institution, the Attorney General, the Inspector General of Police and several others as respondents.

The petitioners state that under Section 2 of the Excise Ordinance, beer is defined as a fermented alcoholic beverage made from malt. However, they allege that most current manufacturers use rice and sugar as the main ingredients in beer production, which they claim is contrary to the provisions of the Excise law. They further argue that rice, which is produced with significant public subsidies from State funds, is being diverted into commercial industries such as beer production, thereby causing adverse effects on the national economy. They also claim this practice is creating a situation where Sri Lanka may struggle to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production. The petitioners additionally point out that the Standards Institution has not updated its regulatory framework to suit current requirements for monitoring alcohol production standards.

They have requested the Court to issue an order preventing the approval of rice and sugar as primary ingredients in beer production by the Excise CG and other respondents.