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Kenya: COFEK Proposes Tax on Sugary Drinks in Order to Tackle Obesity

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4 years ago

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Nairobi — Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has proposed an introduction of a tax on sugary drinks and drinks that add sugar as drinks as part of efforts to encourage healthier diets, control obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.

In its proposals to the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani who is yet to present the budget statement to the National Assembly, the lobby group wants the government to also levy sugar tax on both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages with added sugar.

According to the lobby group, part of the revenue from the measure will be spent on Universal Health Care, encouraging healthier diets, increasing physical activity, and building capacity for effective tax administration.

“Impose a tax on sugary drinks and drinks that add sugar as ingredients. Just as taxing tobacco helps to reduce tobacco use, taxing sugar drinks can help reduce the consumption of sugars,” COFEK said in a statement.

Kenyans will also enjoy free Internet should MPs adopt proposals by the lobby group which said that Government could raise more internet resources by imposing Value Added Tax (VAT) on products, services, and products sold through the internet.

“Ideally, the internet should be made free so that it becomes a platform for enabling and unlocking the huge potential of multi-billion e-commerce. Government can then raise more resources with VAT on products, services, and products sold through the internet,” COFEK said.

In its proposals, COFEK also wants the government to introduce a plastic packaging tax that will tax manufacturers who use plastics in their packaging.