Rajapaksa government to achieve financial targets through kasippu

 Friday, 04 October 2013

The cash strapped Mahinda Rajapaksa government is looking at achieving its financial targets by legalizing the manufacture and sale of kasippu also known as moonshine. The desperate Rajapaksa government is looking at finding monies even by violating its own Mathata Thitha policy statement.

Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama has said that kasippu production should be legalized.

The deputy minister has made this statement at a public event in Colombo recently.

He has said that legalizing the production and manufacture of kasippu and then imposing a tax will help meet the government’s financial revenue targets.

According to Dr. Amunugama, kasippu production locations are being raided by government authorities since they are located in hidden locations like in jungles.

He has also recalled that late Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle had also proposed that moonshine production be legalized.
Dr. Amunugama has said that alcohol consumption has increased in Sri Lanka and with no way to control it the government should look at using it to raise more funds.

In 2011, Dr. Amunugama had made a similar statement in parliament.

“We always talk about beer and arrack when it comes to alcoholic drinks. Nobody has surveyed proper information about ‘kasippu’. It has become a serious problem today. There is a debate whether it should be legalised after determining certain standards for brewing it. Late Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle held this view strongly,” he had then said in parliament.