SaS Submits Objection against Tax on Sweetened Beverages

Bratislava, May 6 (TASR) - The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party reported on Monday that it's submitting an objection against a planned tax on sweetened beverages, adding that if more than 500 people sign it, the Finance Ministry will be obliged to deal with it. "In addition to sugary drinks, the government will also tax powdered drinks that don't contain sugar but sweeteners. This will increase the price of protein powders for athletes by €4.30 per kilogram. So, if they buy a five-kilogram pack, they will pay an extra €26 including value-added tax," said SaS chairman Branislav Groehling, adding that if people have a healthy lifestyle and play sport, the government will punish them for it. SaS MP Marian Viskupic noted that the Finance Ministry has admitted that it doesn't expect any health benefits in the case of this proposal. "It only expects increased revenues for state coffers. So there is no noble goal, only the goal of tapping into people's wallets once again," he said. The party pointed out that yoghurt drinks, for instance, will also fall under the same category as cola and similar drinks. Cola itself, meanwhile, will be 20 cents more expensive per litre. SaS added that cordials will also be taxed, with their price to be increased by 1.05 cents per litre, while the prices of energy drinks and iced coffee will grow by 30 cents per litre. In the case of protein powders, the price of a five-kilogram pack will rise by almost €26. "It's possible that in the end the state will lose more than it gains because it will be more profitable to buy this product abroad. In any case, this draconian and senseless taxation of sports drinks has nothing to do with negative externalities. It's again just about a greedy state that doesn't want to tighten its own belt, so it needs to take more money from the public," Viskupic remarked. zel/df