The Excise Department of Sri Lanka collected Rs. 70.4 billion in revenue during the first quarter of 2026, beating its quarterly target of Rs. 61.95 billion and marking a 114.8 percent jump over the same period a year earlier, the department said on Monday.
The Q1 haul represents 113.6 percent of the projected target, according to the official figures. The department, which ranks as the third-largest revenue-generating institution in the country after the Inland Revenue Department and Sri Lanka Customs, has set a full-year 2026 target of Rs. 245 billion.
Excise Commissioner General M. B. N. A. Pemarathna attributed the record to “strengthened enforcement measures, improved compliance and enhanced operational efficiency across the department,” combined with intensified field operations carried out under government policy guidance.
Specific measures cited include stricter monitoring of liquor manufacturing plants and distilleries, the rollout of security seals on bottled alcohol, increased raids on illicit alcohol production, and regular inspections of licensed premises. The department indicated it expects to maintain the current growth momentum through the remaining quarters.
The Q1 performance complements the Inland Revenue Department’s Rs. 606 billion Q1 haul reported earlier this month and reinforces the revenue-side ballast under the government’s IMF-programme fiscal consolidation targets. The Avurudu liquor ban enforced by the department over April 13-14 did not dent the quarterly numbers, which were already in place before the public holiday window.
The excise take has been flagged in earlier Central Bank assessments as one of the domestic revenue streams underpinning the country’s post-restructuring fiscal stabilisation. Further detail is expected in the department’s annual report.
