PUNCH
The Federal Government of Nigeria should increase taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages to achieve the 20 per cent hike in the final retail price of targeted sugary drinks as recommended by the World Health Organisation, some stakeholders have advocated.
They said the government’s decision to impose a N10 per litre excise tax on SSBs was commendable, but it fell short of the minimum 20 per cent of the final retail price of affected products recommended by the WHO and global health experts.
Their demand was contained in a communique issued after a one-day Regional Stakeholders Forum on SSBs organised by the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa and the National Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tax Coalition in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Thursday, with support from Global Health Advocacy Incubator.
The communique, ready by CAPPA’s Programme Director, Jakpor Philip, was signed by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, National SSB Tax Coalition, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Rainbow Watch and Development Centre, Oilwatch Nigeria, Community Development Advocacy Foundation, Green Earth for Great Minds Initiative, and Zibekien Owen Ogon Development Initiative.
Among the participants were the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ehwrudjakpo, representatives of the ministries of Health and Environment from Bayelsa, Edo, Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, health experts, civil society organisations and the media.
They stressed the need for adequate and sustained collaboration by the federal and state governments to deepen public awareness of the health risks associated with sugar-sweetened beverages consumption and the benefits of the SSBs tax policy.
The communique said, “Government should increase taxation on SSBs towards achieving a 20% increase in the final retail price of targeted sugary drinks as recommended by WHO.
“The explosion in consumption of SSBs in Nigeria is a public health concern that is connected to the rise in non-communicable diseases such as weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart and kidney diseases, and cancer, among others.
“The decision of the Nigerian government to impose a N10 per litre Excise Tax on SSBs is laudable but still falls short of at least 20% of the final retail price of SSB products as recommended by the WHO and global health experts.
