Digital liquor bottle stickers cost same as paper version: Finance committe

Colombo, June 28 (Daily Mirror) - The cost of security stickers used on liquor bottles has remained unchanged despite most of them now being printed digitally instead of being affixed as paper labels, officials informed the Committee on Public Finance.

During a recent committee meeting, Deputy Excise Commissioner M. Jayantha Silva said the current security sticker system was introduced in 2022 and that the existing contract will expire on January 2, 2027, with a new tender currently being called.

He explained that liquor manufacturers pay US$5.99 per 1,000 stickers, while the total cost, including port and customs charges, amounts to US$7.99 per 1,000.

According to the Deputy Excise Commissioner, more than 80 percent of liquor bottles now use digitally printed security markings instead of paper stickers, as two local liquor and beer manufacturers are unable to apply paper labels due to moisture during their production process.

Committee Chairman Harsha de Silva questioned why the same fee is charged for digital printing when the cost of producing and applying paper stickers is no longer incurred.

He pointed out that digital printing should significantly reduce costs, asking why manufacturers continue to pay the same US$5.99 rate.

Responding to the concerns, Deputy Excise Commissioner Silva said the charge remains unchanged because it was fixed under the existing tender agreement, despite acknowledging that the actual cost of digital printing is lower.