Excise tax of Rs. 10 imposed on toddy when produced

The government has decided to impose an excise tax of Rs. 10 per liter when tapping toddy to prevent illegal toddy production, Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said today.

He said a total of 150,000 liters of toddy are being produced daily, of which 50,000 liters are produced legally.

He said a proposal in this regard was handed over to the President yesterday. This proposal was made with the aim of increasing government revenue.

Due to the illegal production, the government and the producers lose profits. Therefore, the government had decided to impose an excise duty on toddy.

Until today, no such tax was imposed on toddy tapping and bottling. With this imposition of tax, no more taxes will be heaped on the people, the State Minister said. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)