Sri Lanka, July 30 -- The Committee on Public Finance (COPF) approved the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2430/16 dated April 01, 2025, which increases the Tobacco Tax (TT) charged on every beedi manufactured in Sri Lanka from Rs. 2 to Rs. 3 per stick, effective from April 02, 2025.

This was approved at the Committee on Public Finance meeting chaired by Member of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva, at Parliament recently (22).

This adjustment was announced in the Budget 2025 and is implemented under the Tobacco Tax Act, No. 8 of 1999, by an Order made by the Finance Minister in accordance with Section 2 of the Act.

The Excise Department Commissioner General reported that while 1,140 licences were issued to beedi manufacturers last y...