Excise tax on sweetened drinks may create more harm

MANILA: AS the House Committee on Ways and Means started its hearing on a measure imposing excise tax on sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs), the Beverage Industry Association of the Philippines (BIAP) on Wednesday called for “nondiscriminatory” tax proposals on its beverage products.

This, after the Department of Finance (DOF) and government health agencies backed the proposal to impose tax on sweetened beverages.

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During the lower chamber’s hearing, Joan Sumpio of the BIAP urged lawmakers to further study the impact of the proposal to the Filipino people.

“The BIAP supports the Duterte administration’s tax-reform efforts through fair and nondiscriminatory tax measures that would have broad-based positive impact for the country. However, some tax proposals have to be studied further to ensure that these would create more good than harm, particularly the current plans to levy a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, such as House Bills 292, 3720 and 4005, all filed [in] the 17th Congress,” Sumpio told lawmakers.