Let sanity prevail | Daily News

Let sanity prevail

According to a news report, alcohol consumption that had dropped to 30 per cent two months ago following the price increase has further decreased by another 10 per cent, a phenomenon which will make the clergy, temperance movements and the Mathata Thitha (Full Stop to Alcohol) advocates rejoice.

A 40 per cent drop in alcohol use by imbibers within just two months is a significant development - something which no religious preaching, anti-alcohol campaigns or doctors’ warnings had achieved up to now. In that sense the price uptick has had the desired effect, one could argue. Others would say that there will be proportionately less alcohol-fuelled domestic quarrels while also anticipating a drop in crimes and road accidents committed under the influence of liquor.

However, the 40 per cent drop in alcohol use is certainly not what meets the eye. In all likelihood, the steep price increase in legal alcohol brands has driven the habitual drinker to the much cheaper and illegal moonshine or Kasippu. Needless to say, permitting the consumption of crudely manufactured spirits (Katu Kambi) by default, would certainly more than offset the extra funds earned through the price increase by way of an increased health budget to treat the highly toxic effects on those addicted to rotgut.

The increase in VAT by a further three per cent is also bound to affect liquor prices and could drive more imbibers into the hands of Kasippu traders who do not pay a red cent as excise duty.

The Government lost a whopping Rs. 3 billion each month due to the closure of liquor outlets during the lockdown. No doubt the Excise Department was trying to make up for this loss of revenue by the price hike imposed on liquor.

All rulers in the past, although enjoining people to refrain from alcohol use, even promoting programmes such as Mathata Thitha, nevertheless made the most of this liquor addiction to swell Government coffers. The late Minister Mangala Samaraweera was an exception and proposed longer operating hours for wine stores, though this idea was shot down by then President Maithripala Sirisena.

It is time that the Government stopped moral preaching on the use of alcohol and tell the public the truth – that Governments are heavily dependent on excise revenue to stay afloat economically.

This is a time for reflection on anti-alcohol policies under all regimes that have evidently not worked. Whether these anti-alcohol drives were genuinely pursued or were mere cosmetic exercises could be judged from the steep rise in excise revenue over the years.

It is well-known that politicians from all sides have acquired permits to operate ‘Wine Stores’, bars and restaurants in their names or that of their nominees, most often family members, and liquor outlets had mushroomed defeating the whole purpose of anti-alcohol programmes but bringing with it additional revenue to the coffers.

The late Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle who represented a coastal electorate known for its flourishing illicit liquor trade, once told Parliament that he was opposed to introducing anti-alcohol programmes in his area as the people there always started their day after a drink. One of his predecessors even wanted the Government to legalize the distillation of Moonshine in his electorate and make it a taxed cottage industry.

There is much ambiguity in the liquor policies adopted by all Governments who have tended to blow hot and cold in this regard. All efforts to end or at least minimize alcoholism have met with only limited success. All this goes to show how indecisive all regimes have been towards the eradication of alcohol use.

On the contrary, while giving the impression of wanting to rid the country of the alcohol menace, the business has been encouraged through the issuance of liquor permits permitting the opening of new liquor outlets sometimes near schools and places of worship, making the alcohol trade flourish without let or hindrance while raking in the shekels for the coffers.

The authorities should therefore stop fooling the public and come straight. In this respect one has to commend the Deputy Finance Minister in the Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga Government Prof. G. L. Peiris, who rather than do away with alcohol sales in the country altogether wanted to encourage the consumption of soft liquor such as beer and wine.

He argued that the larger volume of sales of soft liquor through such an exercise would offset the revenue lost through the anticipated drop in the sale of hard liquor and also drive people away from illicit liquor.

However, it is doubtful if this theory would work, since imbibers of hard liquor are hardly likely to switch to soft ones, particularly those out in the hard grind in their daily lives who invariably go for rotgut.

Hence, it would be prudent for the Government to make the popular brands of hard liquor affordable to the vast majority of imbibers, so that they will not veer towards Moonshine. Any loss thereby incurred could be made up in terms of reduced health budgets, a good portion of which is now siphoned off to treat a range of ailments related to illicit brews.

 


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