Swat(Ghaznavi news) Increasing tax on sugary drinks can help generating significant revenue and reduce the hospital expenditure. The common man is not effected when tax is increased on sugary drinks as these are not necessary items and their consumption only add diseases burden and increase hospital expenditure. Many countries of the world has increased taxes on sugary drinks to reduce their consumption and they have got very positive effect. Tax on sugary drinks will not only reduce the disease burden but government will also receive additional revenue that shall be used to provide better health facilities. Government shall impose a minimum of 50 % Federal Excise Duty of Sugary Drinks in 2023-24 budget. This was said by health and economic experts in a session with Parliamentarians at a local hotel in Swat. Those who attended the meeting include MNA & member health committee of National Assembly, Dr. Nisar Cheema, MNA Dr. Shazia Sobia, MNA Dr. Samina Matloob, MNA Ramesh Lal, MNA Khurshid Junejo, Dr Khawaja Masuood Ahmed, National Coordinator Nutrition and NFA, MoNHSR&C, Mr. Munawar Hussain, Consultant at Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), Mr. Amjad Khan Yousafzai, embassador PANAH. Mr. Sanaullah Ghumman, Secretary General PANAH hosted the event.
Dr. Nisar Cheema said that disease burden is increasing day by day in Pakistan. Sugary drinks are a major cause of many fatal diseases and government will take necessary measures to reduce the disease burden. Increasing tax on sugary drinks is the need of the hour.
Khawaja Masood from the Ministry of Health said that sugary drinks are drinks that contain added sugar. According to the World Health Organization, consumption of added sugars should be less than 10% of total calories and recommends to reduce it by 5% if total calories. Excessive consumption of these sugary drinks poses great risks to the health of children and adolescents in particular. One of the major reasons for the increase in obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other diseases is sugary drinks, and because of the high consumption of these sweet drinks, today Pakistan ranks third in diabetes in the world and the rate at which it is increasing, Pakistan ranks first in the world. Due to the high consumption of these drinks, not only these diseases are increasing rapidly, but the health burden of the government is also increasing. Pakistan’s annual expenditure on diabetes alone is estimated 2640 million US dollars in 2021.
Munawar Hussain, Consultant of Health Advocacy Incubator, said that the world has taken some effective measures to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks and protect their people from their harm, we should also benefit from these measures. Among the measures taken by the world for this are awareness of the harms of these drinks as well as increase in taxes on these drinks, ban on their marketing, front of pack labeling and warning signs and school food policy. The countries that implemented them not only reduced the burden of disease in their country but also increased the revenue of the government. Saudi Arabia imposed a 50% tax on its sugary drinks and 100% on energy drinks, in the result consumption of Soda dropped by 41 % and consumption of energy drinks dropped by 58%. Similarly, Qatar, Chile, Maldives and many other countries have not only reduced health burden but also increased revenue by taking appropriate policy actions to reduce diseases in their countries. . He warned government that if no policy actions taken immediately, people living with type 2 diabetes in Pakistan will increase to 62 million by 2045. He demanded that government of Pakistan must imposed a minimum of 50 % FED on all types of sugary drinks in 2023-24 budget and reduce the taxes on healthy drinks like water and unsweetened milk
Addressing the ceremony, Panah Secretary General Sanaullah Ghumman said that Pakistan National Heart Association has been educating people about heart and related diseases for the past 40 years and the causes that lead to these diseases. Panah is working with the government to make laws to prevent them so as to give a healthy life to our countrymen and especially children because a healthy nation is the guarantee of a country’s strength. He added that beverage industry is misguiding policy makers at every step and creating barriers to the policy process. We request parliamentarians to give priority to public health over the interests of beverage industry.
Parliamentarians assured that they will support increasing SSB taxes in finance bill for public health interest.