The Excise Department has withdrawn its statement issued earlier pertaining to the restrictions imposed on liquor outlets.

The Department’s Spokesman Deputy Excise Commissioner Kapila Kumarasinghe said the decision was taken following the instructions of the Excise Commissioner General Ariyadasa Bodaragama, due to the confusion over operations at hotels and restaurants approved by the Tourist Board.

On October 9, the Department said in a statement in line with directives issued by the Ministry of Health, that wine and liquor shops across the country can operate under strict guidelines while all pubs, bars, casinos, night clubs, will remain closed until October 31 considering the prevailing pandemic situation.

According to the statement, wine and liquor shops, hotels, rest houses and guest houses could be operated under strict guidelines, which means service providers and recipients should be restricted to less than 50 per cent of capacity with strong adherence to health guidelines.

Withdrawn statement