Objections to ending rice ban on beer production fixed for October 2

The Court of Appeal fixed October 2 for objections in a writ application which is filed against the use of rice and sugar as primary ingredients in beer production.

Justices R. Gurusinghe and A. Prem Shankar heard the petition.

President's Counsels K. Kanagiswaran, Sumathi Dharmawardena and Ali Sabry appeared for several respondent liquor manufacturing companies and requested a date to file objections.

A group of licensed liquor distributors filed the writ.

Respondents include the Commissioner General of Excise, officials of the Excise Department, the Sri Lanka Standards Institution, the Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police.

Section two of the Excise Ordinance defines beer as fermented liquor brewed from malt.

Petitioners argue that manufacturers are using rice and sugar instead, violating the ordinance.

The petitioners note that using heavily subsidised public rice for commercial beer production harms the national economy, preventing Sri Lanka from being self-sufficient in rice.

They also say that the Sri Lanka Standards Institution failed to update its standards mechanism for liquor production.

Petitioners have asked the court to issue an order preventing respondents from approving rice and sugar as primary ingredients in beer production, alongside several other orders.