The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, the response to the Adjournment Motion moved by Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam is as follows.

¶ 02 Under Section 28A(1) of the Excise Ordinance, the Minister may direct the Excise Commissioner General to grant, renew or cancel a licence, and the Commissioner General shall implement such directions.

¶ 03 Regarding a location in Periyaneelavanai, Ampara, approval had been granted during the tenure of then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to issue an Excise retail liquor licence (for the sale of liquor by retail) to Kegalle Beverages (Pvt) Ltd. Since the present Hon. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake took oaths as Minister of Finance and Planning, no approval has been granted to issue any excise licence.

¶ 04 Hon. Member, you stated that a certain establishment is about to commence operations. However, as I said, since the present President took oaths, no approvals have been granted to issue excise licences. Nevertheless, the present government is currently taking steps to examine the licences issued under the previous government. As investigations are ongoing and the relevant institutions and resources have been engaged, it would not be appropriate to disclose further details at this time.

¶ 05 The political culture we are instituting under the National People's Power is not one where politicians act above the law. Instead of arbitrarily banning or granting on a whim, we are conducting the necessary investigations promptly under the law, engaging suitable and impartial officers. You also mentioned that bar permits have been issued to persons not connected to tourism in that province. The policy of this government is not to develop tourism in Ampara merely by issuing bar permits. Our policy is to provide the necessary facilities to uplift the province and district systematically and successfully.

¶ 06 Hon. Deputy Minister, time, please.

¶ 07 Let me give an example. Under this Budget, to develop the Eastern Province, this government is not looking to raise money by issuing bar permits. We are allocating Rs. 604 billion for health, Rs. 619 billion for education, and Rs. 355 billion for roads. In line with the new urban concept, work plans have also been prepared to develop new tourism zones.

¶ 08 As our Hon. Member who spoke earlier said, our culture is not to do politics by using bar permits. Our approach is that if wrongs have occurred, to conduct the necessary investigations in due time and act according to their outcomes. These cannot be done hastily, especially when we are dealing with permits issued by a Minister of Finance.

¶ 09 Hon. Presiding Member: Hon. Rasamanickam, please do not keep interrupting. Hon. Deputy Minister, you have one more minute.