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500 signatures reached
To: Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana
Call on Finance Minister and Deputies to increase and expand Sugary Drinks Tax
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As the 7th administration gets to work, we call on Finance Minister Godongwana and Deputy Ministers Masondo and Sarupen to put our nation's health before profit by increasing and expanding the Sugary Drinks Tax known as the Health Promotion Levy (HPL).
The Child Support Grant has not kept up with rising food prices, and so many children and families go hungry. The minister has the power to protect children from hunger by raising the HPL to help fund an increase for the Child Support Grant to at least the Food Poverty Line. Not only would increasing the Health Promotion Levy raise funds that could help fight child hunger, but it would also help reduce the consumption of sugary drinks, which contribute to Non-Communicable Diseases, which are a major health crisis.
The Child Support Grant has not kept up with rising food prices, and so many children and families go hungry. The minister has the power to protect children from hunger by raising the HPL to help fund an increase for the Child Support Grant to at least the Food Poverty Line. Not only would increasing the Health Promotion Levy raise funds that could help fight child hunger, but it would also help reduce the consumption of sugary drinks, which contribute to Non-Communicable Diseases, which are a major health crisis.
Why is this important?
It is concerning that big businesses have already started publicly pushing for meetings with the new government of national unity. The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa has once again started lobbying against the Sugary Drinks Tax [1]. The sugar industry commissioned studies claiming the HPL was causing job losses. However, researchers from SAMRC/Wits Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science, Priceless SA, found no evidence of job losses due to the HPL [2].
Big business and its associates continue to use their enormous resources to delay, dilute, and delegitimise decisions that are in the public interest. They have proven time and time again that they are bullies and continuously hold the country hostage with threats of job losses and divesting.
References
[1] Public and private sector cooperation in SA is key to economic growth. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-07-01-public-and-private-sector-cooperation-in-sa-is-key-to-economic-growth