THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Good news for beer lovers in Kerala! Estonia and Portugal have shown interest in selling their beer brands in the state. Embassy officials from both countries recently approached the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) to explore the possibility of selling their beer.
While Bevco currently sells Foreign Made Foreign Liquor (FMFL) and foreign-made wines, it has not yet started selling foreign-made beer. “The Excise Department has given its approval for the sale of foreign-made beer brands. The proposal is now with the Finance Department, which will decide the tax,” said Bevco Chairman and Managing Director, Harishita Attaluri, to The New Indian Express.
She added that the embassy officials were also interested in learning more about the FMFL and wine markets. “We have told the interested companies that they can submit their applications with the necessary documents,” Attaluri said.
Meanwhile, Bevco is seeing excellent revenue from the sale of FMFL and foreign-made wines. As of the third week of August this fiscal year, 1.14 lakh cases were sold, compared to 1.04 lakh cases during the same period last year.
“Most of our outlets now have walk-in facilities, where customers can choose their preferred brands from display racks. This has helped increase the sale of foreign-made liquor and wine,” Attaluri said.
Beer Sales Increase at Bevco Outlets but Decrease at Bars
During the current fiscal year, beer sales through Bevco outlets have increased, while sales at bars have decreased. As of the third week of August, 1.828 million cases were sold, up from 1.736 million cases during the same period last year. However, warehouse sales, which represent sales to bars and beer parlors, decreased from 2.262 million cases to 1.995 million cases.
Bevco recently submitted a proposal to the government to introduce beverages with lower alcohol content. This was in response to requests from tourists and other stakeholders in the tourism sector. The Excise Department has approved this proposal, and the Finance Department is currently setting the tax rates for these new products.
With input from TNIE.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com
