Amendments to Excise Ordinance to be gazetted

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday instructed the authorities concerned to gazette amendments to the Excise Ordinance with immediate effect.
The President has given these instructions at a meeting on drug prevention and mitigation of crimes held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.

At the meeting, the President had emphasised to carry forward the national drive to make the country free from drugs while enforcing the law strictly against the drug offences.
The President also reviewed the progress of the programme to minimize crimes in the country and also instructed the authorities to bring in necessary amendments to the Poisonous Drugs Ordinance.
The discussion also focused on the rehabilitation of the drug addicts.
Transferring of drug smugglers and traffickers to the Boossa prison under tight security of the Police Special Task Force was also discussed at this meeting.

Minister Thalatha Athukorala, Secretary to the President Udaya R. Seneviratne, Defence Secretary Gen. Shantha Kottegoda, Acting Attorney General Dappula De Livera, Acting IGP and several others participated.