While the Meghalaya economy has suffered for almost two years now due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, one area has not experienced such a downturn – that of alcohol sales.
“We went through a difficult time when Covid hit us but in terms of our revenue collection we saw that the Excise Department has done well. We have seen a constant growth of close to 10 to 12 per cent in revenue and that is a very positive indication,” Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who also holds the finance portfolio, said today.
The CM was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony for the office building of the Commissioner of Excise here. Excise Minister Kyrmen Shylla and senior civil servants were also present on the occasion, which saw the logo of the Excise Department revealed with the rather amusing motto of ‘Spirits Matter’.
During his address, the Chief Minister expressed satisfaction that the long pending project could finally take shape and said that the infrastructure will enable the department to function in a more efficient manner.
Sangma celebrated his government’s decision to pave the way for local fruit wine production to be legalised.
“A very important reform which we initiated in the department was to allow local wines to be legalised. A lot of people are into wine making and there was no policy in the beginning to monitor and to give legal licensing to these different home winemakers or small-scale winemakers. They use a variety of locally sourced fruits for their products. So, not only does it help those entrepreneurs who are making the wine, but it also benefits our fruit farmers who can sell their excess produce to these wine makers. Fruits are perishable products, therefore it makes complete sense to promote local wine,” he said.
He added that further reforms are in the pipeline, including a possibility of reducing fees and excise duties for local wines and perhaps making such products available through retail outlets that would not require a full alcohol licence.
Shylla, during his address, informed that the new building of the Commissioner of Excise will house a laboratory to test, check and certify alcohol brewed and/or bottled in the state as fit for human consumption.
Eighty per cent of the liquor consumed in Meghalaya is bottled locally but the alcohol has to be tested in Guwahati as the required facilities do not exist in Meghalaya.
