Special committee to look into tax on sweet drinks

[webfact]

Special committee to look into tax on sweet drinks



BANGKOK: -- A recent proposal to tax sweet drinks is making a headway after the Finance Ministry agreed to set up a committee to find a solution to the matter.

The sweet drinks to be taxed includes bottled green tea, and soft drinks.

Somchai Sujjapongse, the permanent-secretary of the Ministry of Finance, said yesterday that the Finance Minister has ordered the ministry to coordinate with soft drinks producers in the country to set up a team to find a solution and come up with an appropriate tax structure for high sugar content soft drinks currently marketed in the country.

The minister also specified that a workable solution must be found within the month, he said.

But representatives from the private sector share their opinions that the proposed tax should be applied equitably and fairly as at present, the rate of sugar usage for the industry varies.

They cite example of the prepared food sector on average uses between 20 – 30% of sugar in the entire industry while soft drinks producers do not exceed 20%.

Furthermore, the dairy sector also uses between 20 – 30% of the industry’s sugar demands.

Thus, if taxes are collected from each and every sector then this will create negative repercussions for consumers as well as farmers.

Meanwhile a recent recommendation to increase taxes on old automobiles of 7 years and older by basing rates on carbon dioxide emissions was aborted.

The official stand is that this measure will take some time yet before it comes into practice.

The popular opinion is that the move would certainly create a huge amount of negative backlash from the general public as on average there are a vast number of vehicles that are 7 years and older owned by the public.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/165698


-- Thai PBS 2016-06-02

[mtls2005]

Just one, single committee?

Surely this requires at least eight committees?

[gandalf12]

The idea has come from the UK were they are thinking of doing it. This is not a Thai idea just a copy.......as usual

[JeremyBowskill]

So here's an idea, actually offer some sugar free alternatives then!!! Diet coke and Pepsi is all that is offered, would kill for some better options.

[Ceruhe]

I can already see how stuff like apple juice would fall under the radar and other sketchy things.

I fail to read as to WHY this tax is being brought up? I'm not reading anything in regards to fighting obesity or whatever the agenda is nowadays.

[gandalf12]

I can already see how stuff like apple juice would fall under the radar and other sketchy things.

I fail to read as to WHY this tax is being brought up? I'm not reading anything in regards to fighting obesity or whatever the agenda is nowadays.

In the UK it is supposedly aimed at fighting obesity but I think Thailand never read that bit just the bit about more income.

[Brer Fox]

Water is about the only drink in Thailand that doesn't have sugar in it. I don't want to sound negative but this proposal is going to have some interesting ramifications. Like most Thai government brain snaps the consequences of a tax being imposed on just about every other drink except water can be expected to have an adverse impact on the economy.

Rice and noodles increase blood sugars and for some have negative heath consequences. Are they going to tax those as well?

How are they going to collect a tax from those operators of the sugar cane squeezing contraptions which produce a pure sugar drink? And all those added sugar laden fresh fruit drink vendors.

As gandalf12 said earlier the Thais have copied this idea from the UK. The thing that hasn't occurred to the Thai brainstrust is that the UK, unlike Thailand, doesn't have a sugar cane growing industry to aversely impact.

Like with just about everything else they do they don't seem to think things through.

[manarak]

yet another big brother tax that disrespects individual freedoms justified by the government knowing what is better for people.

yuck!

[arunsakda]

So here's an idea, actually offer some sugar free alternatives then!!! Diet coke and Pepsi is all that is offered, would kill for some better options.

Agreed. In Japan the bottle/can coffee tea section has all kinds if options from sweetened, low sugar, and no sugar. Thailand nothing but they most cloyingly sweet concoctions with milk also. Supposedly sugarfree soda is noth healthful. I mostly gave them up.

Don't know if taxing this rubbish would have any effect anyway. Thais seem to recoil at anything that is not heavily laden with sugar.

[singhajim]

The idea has come from the UK were they are thinking of doing it. This is not a Thai idea just a copy.......as usual

France introduced a sugary drinks tax in 2012. Denmark actual abolished their tax in 2013 as Danes simply went to neighbouring countries to buy soda and avoid the tax. St Helena, a BOT, introduced a sugary drinks tax in 2014.

[trogers]

They should levy tax on sticky rice, like the levy on cigarettes and tobacco.

A bowl of sticky rice has equivalent sugar content to two cans of coke.

[JeremyBowskill]

So here's an idea, actually offer some sugar free alternatives then!!! Diet coke and Pepsi is all that is offered, would kill for some better options.

Agreed. In Japan the bottle/can coffee tea section has all kinds if options from sweetened, low sugar, and no sugar. Thailand nothing but they most cloyingly sweet concoctions with milk also. Supposedly sugarfree soda is noth healthful. I mostly gave them up.

Don't know if taxing this rubbish would have any effect anyway. Thais seem to recoil at anything that is not heavily laden with sugar.

Nippon no ho ga oishi darro!

[Travel2003]

This should be interesting.

Could have beeen a good idea, but it would fail, due to the already mentioned issues in the thread.

I guess the only products with no added sugar in Thailand, is toothpaste. Just a guess.

Went to Tops grocery the other day and counted 19 different orange juices. All containing sugar.

[chickenslegs]

If this results in Schweppes 'diet' Indian tonic water becoming available in Thailand, I'm all for it.

[Freakin Musashi]

This should be interesting.

Could have beeen a good idea, but it would fail, due to the already mentioned issues in the thread.

I guess the only products with no added sugar in Thailand, is toothpaste. Just a guess.

Went to Tops grocery the other day and counted 19 different orange juices. All containing sugar.

Yep, yep, rice, too, metabolizes into sugar too, yup, yup, tax that.

The point is that people gulp soda pop by the gallon and it's the easiest and most effective place to start cutting down on sugar consumption.

I'm personally haunted by the possibility not that I will have diabetes or obesity, but that I will be surrounded by obese diabetes sufferers as the population ages.

[puukao]

if farang, tax is 100%

but if from America, and size 32 pants, no tax. Size 36 pants is 50% and size 42 is 200%!!!!

if you show blood work from doctor and on exercise visa, tax only 75%