The Licensed Liquor Dealers Association has reportedly asked the President to remove Commissioner General of Excise Department - Mr. M.J. Gunasiri.

They have pointed out that the country is losing out a daily excise revenue of Rs. 400 million due to the malpractices of the current commissioner.

The association has also requested the President to obtain a court order to investigate the Commissioner and other corrupt officers of the Excise Department and to investigate their assets.

President of the Association - Ajith Udugama points out that the loss of excise revenue should be investigated by an independent investigation.

Mr. Udugama has also reportedly alleged that the law of using safety stickers for liquor bottles is not implemented properly either.

Harry's doings
Meanwhile, it is also reported that the leading businessman Mr. Harry Jayawardena, who is the chairman of the Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka PLC (DCSL), is distributing alcohol produced in the Kalutara factory without stickers in the southern province.

The association further points out that investigations on a distillery issuing alcohol in the Northern Province without the safety stickers, has also stopped.

It is revealed that the bigwigs of the Excise department have informed their officials investigating such corrupt incidents to submit them as industrial crime reports.

As a result, the officials are now reluctant to implement the law, the chairman points out.

The Association urges that an honest individual with strict discipline should be appointed as the Commissioner General of the Excise Department.