Excise earns extra billions as Parliament gets tough on tax stamp scam

The Department of Excise has increased collections by over Rs. 1 billion over the past month, during raids to confiscate alcohol bottles with forged tax stamps. 

The Parliamentary Committee on Ways and Means directed the Excise Commissioner General on 10 August to investigate and remove bottles with fake stamps, and accordingly over 100,000 such bottles were discovered at outlets across the country.

The findings were discussed by the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finances yesterday. The Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, MP Patali Champika Ranawaka, has recommended that a fresh tender be called regarding the printing of tax stamps, and stop the erosion of State revenue through such acts of corruption.

He added that new and effective mechanisms must be devised to ensure the security and accountability of products. An effective digital code must enable consumers and officials to verify the authenticity of the product, the tax paid and its production details, Ranawaka added.