Sri Lanka’s Excise Department warned that anyone transporting beedi leaves (i.e. cheap, flake tobacco) without official transport permits will face immediate legal action, as authorities move to tighten enforcement against illegal production. Deputy Minister of Economic Development U. D. Nishantha Jayaweera said enforcement has been lax in the past, but new instructions have been issued to strengthen controls. While current tax revenue from domestically produced beedi stands at around 1–1.5 billion rupees ($3.4 million to $4.8 million), he said proper tax collection could raise this figure to nearly 15 billion rupees ($48 million). The government plans to introduce new measures to boost revenue and curb the untaxed, illegal manufacture of beedi.
Sri Lanka Cracking Down on Beedi to Boost Tax Revenue
