Prepackaged drinks without added sugar are to be exempted from commodity taxes, following amendments passed yesterday by the Legislative Yuan.
The change to the Commodity Tax Act (貨物稅條例) was a bipartisan effort to improve public health by making bottled beverages without added sugar a more appealing choice for consumers.
About one in every three children in Taiwan is overweight, while half of adults experience weight problems.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
Article 8 of the act already exempts “pure natural fruit juice, fruit syrup, concentrated fruit syrup, concentrated fruit juice and pure natural vegetable juice” that is in compliance with national standards from commodity taxes.
The change also removes the 13 percent commodity tax on color televisions, video recorders, record players and audio recorders.
The reasoning behind the removal of the appliances from the list is that they have become essential consumer goods for many, calling the fairness and legitimacy of levying taxes on them into question.
They are also being replaced by new products, leading to a decrease in tax revenue.
The legislature also passed two resolutions related to the new amendments.
The first is that the Ministry of Finance is to prepare a one-year assessment report on tax exemptions for household appliances.
The second is that the ministry is to provide data on commodity and business taxes for imported and domestically produced beverages according to their price as part of efforts to ensure that consumers see the benefits of the new exemptions.
The ministry would also work with consumer protection agencies and other institutions to monitor whether companies have passed on the benefits to consumers.
Chang Chih-jen (張智仁), honorary chairman of the Taipei-based Chinese Taipei Society for the Study of Obesity, said that the Legislative Yuan should expand the tax exemption to other drinks without added sugar in a bid to improve public health.
Excessive sugar intake is linked to high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, cardiovascular issues and chronic diseases, Chang told reporters.
Sugary drinks are a potential contributing factor to obesity in Taiwan, he said.
Eliminating taxes on sugar-free drinks is an implicit tax on drinks with added sugar, as it makes the public aware that the government is taking their health seriously and is promoting awareness of sugar’s harmful effects, he said.
Only prepackaged sugar-free drinks are exempt, while hand-shaken ones are not, he said.
The next step should be to expand the exemption to hand-shaken drinks so there is a consistent “sugar-free, tax-free” system, Chang said, adding that higher taxes should be levied on shaken drinks with added sugar.
Taipei Medical University School of Nutrition and Health Sciences head Hsia Shih-min (夏詩閔) told reporters that excessive sugar intake is linked to several chronic diseases.
Encouraging consumers to choose sugar-free drinks is good for public health, Hsia said, adding that he supports the new amendments.
Encouraging people to reduce their sugar intake requires continued advocacy from civic groups, as well as communication and coordination between the government and business, changes in people’s purchasing choices and enhanced nutrition education, he said.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS