Policy first, low-alcohol liquor decision later: Kerala minister

Kerala Excise Minister M Liju on Friday said a decision on allowing the sale of low-alcohol beverages in the State would be taken only after the Government notifies its liquor policy.

Replying to reporters’ queries at a press conference, Liju said Chief Minister VD Satheesan had already clarified that announcing the tax slabs did not mean such low-alcohol liquor would be sold in the State. The minister said the tax cuts mentioned in the Budget were part of the Government’s projections regarding various expected sources of revenue.

He said that clauses regarding taxes on liquor in the Finance Bill would come into effect only pursuant to a Government notification. “A notification may be issued only after the Government comes out with its liquor policy,” he said.

“If the policy permits the sale of low-alcohol-content liquor, the tax slabs for it are already in place. If the sale is not permitted, then that is the end of it,” he added.

Liju said that the LDF Government introduced low-alcohol-content liquor through its 2023 liquor policy. Chief Minister VD Satheesan had on Wednesday said in the Assembly that whether low-alcohol beverages would be allowed in the State would be decided separately as part of the UDF Government’s liquor policy after wider public consultation.

Defending the UDF Government’s decision to cut taxes on low-alcohol beverages, Satheesan insisted that the proposal would neither automatically come into force nor pave the way for their sale in the State.