Government Increases Taxes on Liquor, Prices to Rise

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, acting as the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, has ordered an increase in excise duty on liquor effective January 11, 2025, under the authority granted to him by Section 22 of the Excise Ordinance (Chapter 52).

As a result, the previously issued Excise Notification No. 04/2023, published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2364/35 on December 31, 2023, has been revoked.

With the recent tax hike, reports indicate that liquor prices are expected to rise by 5% to 6%