| Azlan Othman |
BRUNEI is gradually getting rid of sugary drinks in its journey towards creating a healthy society and imposition of tax on such beverages is the latest step in this direction.
Members of the public are fairly supportive of the tax, while beverage industries understand the need for reformulation of the fizzy drink products, said Dr Justin Wong Yun Yaw, Medical Superintendent of Public Health at the Ministry of Health (MoH).
Speaking on the sidelines of a dialogue session between the MoH and stakeholders in the Brunei-Muara District last Thursday at the ministry’s Al-‘Afiah Hall, he added that his ministry is willing to work with industries to develop healthier choices for the consumers.
As per the Ministry of Finance’s recent decision, drinks with sugar content of six grammes per 100ml and above will be taxed at $4 per deca litre. This means that a can of soft drink costs 13 cents more. There is no tax, if the sugar content is below six grammes per 100ml.
The tax took effect starting April 1, 2017.
“We hope that more people drink water and unsweetened products compared to those with lots of sugar. Nearly 50 per cent of children in the country consume one or more sweetened beverage a day. The general public is aware that sugar is a real issue now and most people want to have healthy life,” Dr Justin said.
Dr Justin Wong Yun Yaw, Medical Superintendent of Public Health at the Ministry of Health. – AZLAN OTHMAN
“According to the Global Nutrition Report 2016, 61 per cent of Bruneian adults, or six on 10, are overweight and obese. About 50 per cent children in the country fall in this category,” he said.
“It is not new to us and we have been actively working hard to resolve this problem. We need to change the culture and environment so that people could make healthier choices. We are beginning to see good signs. In terms of physical activity, back in 2011, 35 per cent of Bruneians were physically inactive and it came down to 25 per cent last year.”
Dr Justin added, “We also know that salt in the diet is a big contributor to high blood pressure which could also cause renal failure and stroke. We consume far too much salt. More than 90 per cent of us take more salt than recommended daily. One of the big issues is how we can control salt intake. One way is to use reformulated products. People should also take more fresh food and vegetables.”
Meanwhile, Dr Haji Ahmad Yazid bin Haji Abdul Wahab, Medical Superintendent of Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital said, “We need to have appropriate calorie intake and do proper and regular exercise which can be simple like climbing-up the staircase and so on.
“There are no magic solutions and nothing comes overnight. Slowly people are becoming more aware of the importance of health. Hopefully, a cycle to go to work can be a reality in the future. It is one of the ways to change our habit.
“We can slowly turn old habits towards better lifestyles by imposing certain penalties on bad habits. It is hard to drink tea without sugar, but it takes time for us to get used to it,” he added.
The post A tax to make life sweeter appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.