A hotel in Dambulla has been fined Rs. 500,000 after pleading guilty to selling a bottle of drinking water marked at Rs. 100 for Rs. 300, according to the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA).
The case was filed against Sigiriya Kingdom Resort (Pvt) Ltd, located on Rathmalgaha Ela Road, Vihara Junction, Dambulla, following an inspection carried out by investigation officers attached to the CAA’s Matale District Office.
The inspection was conducted around January 2, 2025, after authorities detected the sale of bottled drinking water at a price higher than the marked price.
According to the CAA, the establishment had sold a bottled drinking water product carrying a marked price of Rs. 100 for Rs. 300.
When the case was taken up before court yesterday (23), the defendant company pleaded guilty to the charge. The Magistrate’s Court subsequently imposed a fine of Rs. 500,000.
The CAA, however, clarified that the Rs. 100 price involved in the case is not the current Maximum Retail Price (MRP) applicable to bottled drinking water.
Under Order No. 96, published in Extraordinary Gazette No. 2492/29 dated June 10, 2026, the current MRP for locally packaged bottled drinking water varies according to bottle size.
The maximum prices are Rs. 80 for 500ml–999ml, Rs. 120 for 1L–1.499L, Rs. 150 for 1.5L–1.999L, Rs. 180 for 2L–2.499L and Rs. 400 for 5L–6.999L.
Accordingly, the current maximum retail price of a 1L–1.499L bottle of drinking water is Rs. 120.
The CAA advised consumers purchasing bottled water from hotels, resorts, restaurants and retail outlets to check the applicable MRP based on the bottle size and obtain a bill or receipt for their purchase.
Hotels, resorts, restaurants and retailers were also reminded that products subject to a prescribed maximum retail price must not be sold above the applicable MRP.
The public can report overcharging and other market irregularities to the Consumer Affairs Authority through its 1977 hotline. (Newswire)
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