Despite criticism Government defends ban on women buying alcohol

The?Government today strongly defended the ban on women buying alcohol despite strong criticism raised against it.

Cabinet spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that the decision was taken, taking into consideration a majority of women in the village who do not consume liquor.

“90 percent of women are in the village. They do not go and buy alcohol,” the spokesman said.

Senaratne said that consuming liquor is not something women see as a requirement, based on what the women in the village say.

Cabinet co-spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekera said that the sale of liquor should not only be banned for women but also men.

Cabinet had yesterday decided to withdraw two gazette notices issued by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera on the sale of liquor.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera issued a special gazette notification last week under the excise ordinance which revise the business hours of the liquor licensed establishments in the country.

The Finance Ministry also announced last week that the schedule in the Excise Notification no.666 of the Gazette Extraordinary of 1979 had been amended to allow females over 18 years to purchase alcohol legally and also to be employed at licensed premises without prior approval from the Excise Commissioner.

However yesterday both?gazette notifications were withdrawn on the advice of President Maithripala Sirisena.

Senaratne said that Sri Lanka has a strong culture and that needs to be protected adding that western cultures cannot be applied to Sri Lanka.

Several women went to social media to slam the President over his decision to reinstate the ban on the sale of liquor to women.?(Colombo Gazette)