Issuing soft liquor licenses for tourist hotels and restaurants has been suspended temporarily, the Excise Department says.

Additional Commissioner General of the Excise Department, Kapila Kumarasinghe stated that this measure was taken in compliance with a court order.

Issuance of soft liquor licenses to hotels and restaurants registered with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) kicked off based on a proposal made by the Tourism Ministry and nearly 400 tourist establishments in the country have thus far been granted soft liquor licenses, he added.