Medium-term budget | Call to hike taxes on tobacco, alcohol and soft drinks

JOHANNESBURG – The newly-formed Health Tax Alliance is calling for higher taxes on soft drinks, alcohol, and tobacco.
It says this will dissuade people from overindulging in them.
The alliance says this will relieve the public health system.
Diabetes alone costs government R2.7-billion per year.
READ: Calls for more tax on sugar, alcohol, tobacco
That’s estimated to increase to R35-billion by 2030.
Russel Rensburg from the Alliance said tobacco, sugar and alcohol cost the public health system significant amounts of money.
“We think that tax policy is a very important public health tool,” he said.
“It can be used to reduce demand.”