Petition filed in Appeals Court to halt use of rice and sugar in beer production in Sri Lanka
May 18, 2026 05:45 pm
A writ petition has been filed before the Court of Appeal seeking an order directing the Commissioner General of Excise and others not to grant approval for the use of rice and sugar as primary raw materials in beer production.
The petition, filed by a group of licensed liquor retailers, has named the Commissioner General of Excise, officials of the Department of Excise, the Sri Lanka Standards Institution, the Attorney General, the Inspector General of Police and several others as respondents.
The petitioners state that under Section 2 of the Excise Ordinance, “beer” is defined as a fermented alcoholic beverage made from malt.
However, they allege that most current manufacturers use rice and sugar as the main ingredients in beer production, which they claim is contrary to the provisions of the Excise law.
They further argue that rice, which is produced with significant public subsidies from state funds, is being diverted into commercial industries such as beer production, thereby causing adverse effects on the national economy.
They also claim that this practice is creating a situation where Sri Lanka may struggle to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production.
The petitioners additionally point out that the Sri Lanka Standards Institution has not updated its regulatory framework to suit current requirements for monitoring alcohol production standards.
Accordingly, they have requested the Appeals Court to issue an order preventing the approval of rice and sugar as primary ingredients in beer production by the Commissioner General of Excise and other respondents.
