Liquor prices have gone up from 1 November after a rise in the cost of manufacturing empty bottles, and the refundable deposit charged on those bottles has been increased at the same time.
The cost of producing a 750ml empty bottle has risen to Rs. 160, with 375ml bottles now at Rs. 140 and 180ml bottles at Rs. 109, liquor companies told the Daily Mirror.
What the deposit now costs
The refundable deposit a customer pays on an empty bottle — and gets back on returning it — has been raised across all three sizes:
| Bottle | Old deposit | New deposit |
|---|---|---|
| 750ml (full) | Rs. 60 | Rs. 100 |
| 375ml (half) | Rs. 40 | Rs. 70 |
| 180ml (quarter) | Rs. 20 | Rs. 30 |
Hiru News reported the same three figures, attributing them to Ajith Udugama, chairman of the Liquor Licence Holders’ Association, who said manufacturers had taken the step in response to rising bottle production costs.
Where the two accounts differ is in whose charge this is. Hiru describes the deposit as the sum retail outlets have been collecting from customers; the Daily Mirror reports it as a manufacturer-level increase that companies notified to the Excise Department. Both describe the same money moving in the same direction.
Why the shelf price moved too
The deposit is refundable, so on its own it is not a price increase. The increase consumers cannot recover comes from a second effect: companies that do not accept returned bottles have passed the additional packaging cost straight on to the buyer.
A senior Excise Department official said the companies had informed the Department of the higher deposits, citing higher production costs.
Not reported
Neither filing gives the size of the increase in the retail price of a bottle of liquor, which brands or categories are affected, or by how much glass production costs have risen. Neither names the bottle manufacturers, and no comment from the Excise Department beyond the confirmation above is reported. It is also not stated whether the higher deposits apply to stock already on shelves.