VISAKHAPATNAM: Following the excise department's orders to sell liquor only at the Maximum Retail Price MRP), liquor traders here have decided to implement it from January 1, as they are expecting good business on December 30 and 31 owing to New Year celebrations.
Liquor syndicates have decided to resort to some other measures to boost profits by adopting new strategies like movie theatres do. Following the recent ACB raids on liquor syndicates across the state, one of the big syndicates backed by a minister is already implementing sale of liquor at MRP."The excise department has directed all wine shop dealers to sell liquor at MRP. The department is also pressurising us to increase sales. Because of competition, the license fee almost doubled. We are yet to experience any profits and are even struggling to recover our investment," a leading wine shop dealer said.
It may be recalled that during the lease auction in Visakhapatnam, three shops in the city, two shops at Pedawaltair and one at Seethammadhara were bid for about Rs 4 crore each. Sources said a number of liquor syndicates had decided to boost revenue through other means such as selling plastic glasses, water sachets, water bottles, soft drinks and eatables at wine shops at more than MRP like it is done at cinemas. "There will be protests from petty vendors, but we have no other alternative. The monthly and daily bribes to several government officials will also be stopped from January 1. If, they asks us to sell liquor at MRP, how can they expect kickbacks from us," a syndicate member pointed out.According to excise officials, the majority of wine shops will achieve breakeven even if they sell liquor at MRP. However, some shops owners, who had bid very high for shops last year could have problems.
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