8.5 million euros from sugar tax the first two months
The Catalan government imposed a tax on sugary drinks following the advice of the World Health Organization to encourage a change in consumption habits
The Catalan government imposed a tax on sugary drinks following the advice of the World Health Organization to encourage a change in consumption habits
Following the advice of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Generalitat has approved a new tax on sugary drinks, “because of the effects these drinks have on people’s health”. “Its principal aim is to encourage a change in consumption habits” as the WHO recommends. The new tax goes into effect this May 1, 2017 and it supposes between 8% and 50% of the product’s final price, according to the trade association AECOC. Nevertheless, consumers will not start noticing the price increase on the first day, but “in a week or 10 days, depending on the bars’ and stores’ stocks,” says the tax office’s secretary, Lluís Salvadó.