Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala State Beverages Corporation will soon sell Foreign Made Foreign Liquor (FMFL) even priced above Rs 50,000 per bottle. According to sources, the selling price, including tax, of the costliest single malt whisky ready to hit its stores is Rs 58,000. The base rate of FMFL was fixed by the state government around Rs 2,550 a litre to keep Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) sales intact.
The costliest IMFL brands now available in the state are priced around Rs 5,000.
Officials at KSBC, the state-owned liquor trade monopoly, preferred to be tight-lipped on FMFL prices citing technical reasons. Formal notification of the government to allow the sale of FMFL and Foreign Made Wines (FMW) is yet to come. The KSBC had already cleared the retail prices of 250-odd FMFL and FMW brands to sell in the state. They included almost all favourite brands.
KSBC managing director H. Venkatesh said that as soon as the notification came, the corporation could place orders. “Since we have already finalised prices, suppliers may be able to bring them within ten days after placing orders,” he said. The corporation is planning to sell FMFL and FMW initially through its 60-odd premium and self-service counters. After evaluating the demand, it would be made available in other shops as well. The arrival of more liquor and wine is posing space crunch at the retail outlets, said sources.
