PANJIM: With strong backing from the State government that proposes to amend the Goa Excise Duty Act, 1964, in the ensuing Assembly session to accord feni ‘Heritage Spirit’ status, the Excise Department is set to approach its counterparts across all States to market the product.
The process to shed the ‘unwanted’ tag of feni will begin two months from now when the government grants ‘Heritage Spirit’ status to feni by amending the Goa Excise Duty Act in the forthcoming assembly session which would empower the Excise department to streamline feni production, sale and revenue generation thereby making it a branded product.
The idea is to organize, the by large, unorganized feni industry and give the drink its due status on par with international brands.
Excise Commissioner Menino D’Souza said they taking ensuring all steps to bring feni in the category of international drinks like tequila and scotch – both of which were once country liquors.
“Feni’s sale is not allowed anywhere in India except in the union territory of Daman, because of its country liquor status. Upgrading it as Goa’s heritage drink will give feni recognition like other international class drinks. Once the Act is amended, we plan to write to our counterparts so as to begin exporting the product to their States,” he told Herald.
The department is sketching out a promotional strategy claiming that both – cashew and coconut feni – have the potential to compete with tequila and scotch.
The commissioner revealed that they propose to publish a coffee table book giving a compilation of the alcoholic spirit’s traditional as well as medicinal values. “We have to capitalize on the fact that feni is a natural organic, a naturally fermented drink,” he added.
The only cause of concern is that the drink could become a shade more expensive once exported as the State is mandated to pay duty. D’Souza, however, stated that the brand would in turn bring extra revenue to the manufacturers and the State.
The government announced giving feni heritage spirit status in the State Budget 2016-17 and also exempted feni from the five percent VAT, a move, hailed by distillers in Goa.
To regulate this trade in which about 25,000-odd people are directly or indirectly involved, framing of a feni policy has now become mandatory. Stating that legislation is a must to enforce the policy, the commissioner raised the possibility of either formulating a separate Feni Act or amending the existing Act.
“Any step undertaken to frame the policy will have involvement of stakeholders too,” he assured. The policy will not only keep a tab on the production, sanitization of distillation zones, sale revenue but also curb illegalities carried out by some section of manufacturers.
