The President Muhammadu Buhari Federal Government, will from 2022, impose Excise Duties on carbonated drinks in the country, .
The National Action on Sugar Reduction, a Coalition of Public Health Organisations, commended the President for the proposed “pro-health” tax increase on soft drinks in the 2022 budget.
A statement on Wednesday, jointly signed by Bernard Enyia, the Coalition’s co-Chair and Secretary-General of the Diabetes Association, and Vivianne Ihekweazu, the co-Chair and Managing Director of the Nigeria Health Watch, contained the commendation.
They noted that the proposed Tax policy, as announced by the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, in her 2022 budget breakdown, would boost non-communicable diseases prevention in Nigeria.
The statement reads: “During the ‘Public Presentation and Breakdown of the Highlights of the 2022 Appropriation Bill’, the Minister said the government would increase Excise Duties on carbonated drinks.
”We are advocating for health and fiscal policy measures, to combat the devastating impact of non-communicable diseases, NCDs, in the country. The proposed increase in the taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages by 2022, is a step in the right direction.
“This is because, it will enable revenue to be generated for public health programmes, especially those targeted at addressing the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”
According to the Coalition, the possible increase in soft drink taxes, aligns with the recently updated National NCDs Policy and Multisectoral Action Plan for the Control and Prevention of NCDs in Nigeria.
They said that the revised National NCDs Policy includes recommendations to enact new Laws to increase Taxes and Excise Duties on carbonated beverages.
According to the statement, leading research has called attention to the role of soft drinks in raising the risk of diseases like obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
“Recent evidence suggests that taxation is effective in reducing the consumption of soft drinks.”
They stated that several countries had successfully implemented sugary drink taxes, including a health promotion levy in South Africa.
The Coalition claimed that Researchers stressed that taxation would discourage soft drinks consumption, and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
They noted that such conditions could produce a two-pronged difficulty, in that they often cause a lifetime of ill health, and healthcare spending.
The Coalition noted: “In addition to the economic benefits of the Tax, the Coalition recognises the positive effect this will have on the health of Nigerians. NCDs account for the deaths of one in three Nigerians, and present a significant cause of premature death.
“However, we applaud the Federal Government for this significant step towards protecting the lives of Nigerians.”