Sri Lanka must seriously look at relaxing regulation on liquor restrictions as its stumbling block for the industry, said Minister of Tourism and Christian Affairs, John Amaratunge.
Speaking at the “Certification Scheme for Tourist Friendly Eating Places,” award ceremony he said that a Swedish national was apprehended and fined Rs. 100, 000 for carrying 50 cans of beer for his consumption in Aurugam Bay.
“I don’t want to criticize ‘courts’ but my feeling is that this fine is uncalled for and he should have been warned and discharged. I feel the Swedish national should never have been arrested in the first place as they come to enjoy Sri Lanka and these incidents give a bad message to global travellers.”
The Minister said that he had been fighting hard to relax licensing of beer and wine issuing licenses which have less than 7% alcohol strength but was unsuccessful.
“But in a Buddhist country like Thailand one can find spirits in every super market almost 24 hours day and it is high time that Sri Lanka too should think in these lines.”
In a bid to encourage the upgrading of food safety, hygiene and service of eating places providing food for foreign and local tourists in Kandy city Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLDA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Kandy Municipal Council launched “Certification Scheme for Tourist Friendly Eating Places,” yesterday.
Phase one of the project launched earlier this year covered eating places in the Colombo Municipality limits and phase two of the project has covered eating places in Kandy. Galle district would be targeted next and a nominal registration fee of Rs. 1,000 charger for the registration which has to be renewed annually.
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