COPF Chairman Blasts Revenue Drain from Liquor Bottle Security Sticker Fraud

The Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) has launched a sharp attack on those responsible for the widespread liquor bottle security sticker scam, warning that the scale of revenue loss to the state is staggering and demands immediate government intervention.

According to the COPF Chairman, the financial damage caused by the fraudulent use of security stickers on liquor bottles is so severe that the recovered revenue, if the scam were brought to a halt, could be sufficient to fund approximately eight projects of the magnitude of the nationally recognised Suwaseriya ambulance service.

A Scandal of Enormous Proportions

The Suwaseriya free ambulance service, widely regarded as one of Sri Lanka's most impactful public health initiatives, serves as a stark benchmark for illustrating just how much money is being lost to this fraud. By drawing this comparison, the COPF Chairman sought to impress upon lawmakers and the public the true human cost of allowing the scam to continue unchecked.

The security sticker system was originally introduced as a safeguard to verify the authenticity of legally produced and taxed liquor bottles. However, the mechanism has been systematically exploited, resulting in significant losses to state coffers that would otherwise support critical public services.

Calls for Urgent Action

The COPF Chairman made clear that tangible, enforceable measures must be put in place without delay to plug the loophole being exploited by fraudsters. The committee is understood to be pressing relevant authorities to investigate the full extent of the racket and bring those responsible to account.

Sri Lanka's liquor industry is heavily taxed, and revenue collected from excise duties forms a notable portion of government income. Any large-scale manipulation of the security sticker system therefore represents not only a loss of tax revenue but also a direct blow to state-funded welfare programmes that millions of Sri Lankans depend upon.

The revelations are expected to intensify scrutiny of the Excise Department and related regulatory bodies, with parliamentary oversight committees likely to demand detailed accountability reports in the coming weeks.

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