Over Rs. 104 m netted from hooch fines

Rasika Somarathna

COLOMBO: The Excise Department has netted a staggering Rs.104.8 million as fines in the first six months of 2007 by taking a stringent approach towards the strict implementation of legislative provisions regarding the abuse of excise rules and regulations.

According to excise sources 30,000 suspects were arrested in over 29,016 successful raids in the first half of the year, with contraband worth millions of rupees being taken into custody.

An Excise Department spokesman told the Daily News that this showed a growth margin of 10.5 per cent in comparison to the previous year with the Western Province topping the list recording 8,964 cases.

The Wayamba Province recorded 5,296 incidents while Central and Southern Provinces recorded 2,886 and 2,855 cases. Even in the conflict affected North there was 879 successful arrests, excise sources said. In 2005 the Excise Department conducted 45,933 raids netting around Rs. 100 million as court fines and in 2006 it rose to 52,590 raids and fines over Rs. 170 million.

In the first six months of 2007, the figure had already gone up (Rs.104.8 million), significantly enriching Government coffers by a substantial margin and deterring would-be offenders.

According to Commissioner General of Excise Parakrama Bandara Ekanayake, the heavy fines introduced through the Increase of Fines Act No. 12 of 2005 and the introduction of National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act.No. 27 of 2006 appear to have acted as a deterrent.

The Mathata Thitha programme, a brain child of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has brought about a big change in the thinking of all sectors with regard to the fight against drugs/alcohol, with the President himself taking the lead where he has stressed the importance of eradicating the menace to eliminate the social stigma associated with it, excise sources said.

The new move’s prime objective is to set out parameters pertaining to smoking and consumption of alcohol in the public and to prevent the younger generation from consumption.

Members were appointed to the NATA and Sri Lanka also became the first country in the region and fourth in the world to ratify the Frame Work Convention on Tobacco Control under the auspices of the WHO which became international law in 2005.

With the enaction of this Act, there is emphasis on youngsters under 21 from smoking and consuming alcohol and also gives greater power to excise officers. Officers have already conducted over 300 raids under this with the collection of over Rs. one million in fines.

According to Excise sources they have taken steps to strictly impose the rules without fear or favour with 55 Excise Depots being established islandwide and special units being deployed in identified hot spots.

The Commissioner General paid a special tribute to the public as this year’s success largely depended on the information received from civilians. The Commissioner appealed for continued Public support to eradicate the menace.