Bengal’s foreign liquor retailers have sought a rollback of Covid-era levies and arbitrary round-off charges, arguing that rising regulatory costs are eroding profitability and threatening the viability of licensed liquor outlets across the state.

The Society for the Welfare of West Bengal Foreign Liquor Licences, which represents more than 1,000 foreign liquor shops in the state, has urged the Bengal government to undertake a comprehensive review of fees, levies and charges imposed on the trade, including the withdrawal of the ‘special purpose fee’ and invoice round-offs charged by the state beverages corporation.

“The previous state government had introduced the special purpose fee during the Covid period. There is also a round-off amount being charged on every Bevco bill. We have made a representation and urged the government to consider removing these fees as retailer margins are significantly affected by these charges,” said Bijon Patra, secretary of the body.

The special purpose fee was introduced in 2021 on every bottle of foreign liquor, whether bottled in India or imported, with the stated objective of promoting responsible drinking. The levy ranges from ₹5 to ₹400 per bottle, depending on the manufacturer’s declared price slab.

The association has also sought an increase in retailer margins to around 10 per cent of the maximum retail price (MRP), compared with an effective 3.5 to 4 per cent currently after accounting for the various charges.

Besides rationalisation of fees, the trade body has called for tighter controls on the issuance of liquor licences, particularly in rural areas, improved quality checks at warehouses operated by the state beverages corporation, simplification of regulatory procedures and stronger enforcement against illegal trade.

Amid reported concerns over alleged monetary extortion from bottlers operating in the state, BJP leader Shankudeb Panda, who attended an event organised by the trade body on Sunday, said such practices would not be tolerated by the current state government. He also urged licence holders to strictly adhere to excise regulations.