BRUSSELS: The body has hit out at the results of tax hike on alcoholic beverages, brought in on 1 November last year, which it says “reinforces discrimination against spirits”.
“The results of the tax increase are already visible,” said Spirits Europe in a statement. “A 16% decrease in sales in the retail sector, a 50% decrease in the on-trade and a 33% decrease in sales by producers. We can expect a negative impact in terms of investment and employment along the production and distribution chain. This is certainly not the outcome planned by the government.”
Tax on spirits in the country has increased by 71% since 2013. Compared to beer, tax for which has risen 17%, and wine, tax for which has increased 59% in the same period, the body says its “hard to understand such an unfair treatment”.
