Why SSB taxes should be raised to N40 – CAPPA

The federal government has been urged to raise the taxes payable on Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) from six per cent or N10 per litre to N40 per litre or 30 per cent. Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi, made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a National […]

The federal government has been urged to raise the taxes payable on Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) from six per cent or N10 per litre to N40 per litre or 30 per cent.

Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi, made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a National Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tax Coalition’s roundtable on the SSB taxes themed, ‘SSB tax: Industry Undermining Public Health for Profit’.

He urged Nigerians to reject any deceptive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) aimed at promoting unhealthy products by the manufacturers to fraudulently sway the government from protecting the people through the hike in SSB taxes.

He noted that the SSB manufacturing industry actively targets children and youths, bombarding them with sugary advertising and social activities, normalising unhealthy habits at a crucial stage in their development.

“The statistics are sobering; one in 10 Nigerians now live with diabetes, placing a crippling burden on individuals and Nigeria’s healthcare system. This predatory marketing exploits the vulnerability of young minds, shaping preferences that echo for years,” he said.

He stated that SSB taxation has been successfully implemented in many countries like Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, and Portugal, among others leading to effective reduction in the consumption of SSBs.