Prime Minister Philip Davis said yesterday a sugar tax aimed at forcing people to cut the consumption of sugary drinks and ultimately lead to a reduction in the high level of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Bahamian population won't happen anytime soon.
"We are attempting to cause Bahamians to understand what sugar is to their health," said Davis when asked about the government's plan to tax sugar-sweetened beverages.
"We have put a framework in place to determine whether or not it will be done, but nothing is happening with that. It's not going to happen anytime soon."
The government last week tabled the Customs Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023 which would empower the minister of finance, after consultation with the minister of health, to make regulations providing for the payment of a "health and wellness levy" on the importation of specified goods and domestically manufactured goods "deemed to have a negative impact on health and wellness".
"So we are talking with the industry to see how they're able to lessen sugar in the ingredients for sodas, etc.," said Davis while responding to questions from reporters.
"Statistics have shown that it is one of the significant contributors to the non-communicable diseases, something that this country is struggling with as I speak. So no, that is not going to be done this year. I don't see it coming very soon either."
On Sunday, Minister of Health Dr. Michael Darville said the government is "laying the foundation for what is to come as it relates to sugar-sweetened beverages".
He said while the legislation foreshadows what's to come, it will not come without consultations.
"I said this before ... when I mentioned that we're looking at adding sugar-sweetened beverages taxes, I did get a pushback from the opposition, of course, from the local industry, the local manufacturers, indicating that by doing this you will put them out of business, you will cause loss of employment; you're targeting them and you're not targeting everyone who is selling sugar products," he said.
"The reality is, the evidence-based research that's coming from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is clear.
"Sugar-sweetened beverages is one of the major culprits and we see it even in our local food stores - the price of soft drinks is pretty much less than water - and without proper education, people just keep drinking it only to their demise, and they are affecting the delivery of healthcare services.
"I can tell you this much, at the Princess Margaret Hospital, the majority of patients that are recurring are those who suffer from chronic noncommunicable diseases, and when we look at the nutritional content of their diet, we realize that we need to do a better job as a country and find ways to change dietary behavior.
"It doesn't happen by just saying it. I can sit down and say, 'listen, you can't be doing this', but the reality is that doesn't really change the behavior.
"You have to do some behavior modification type tax that drives them in a particular direction, and at the end of the day, it helps them to select better alternatives, which reduces the cost of healthcare delivery and it prolongs life and keeps them out of hospital. And so, it is a health tool by using a tax to change behavior; simple education does not work all the time."
He pointed to the most recent Bahamas STEPS 2019 report which "shows that we are on the way to destruction and we need to implement some aggressive measures".
The report, which Darville tabled in the House of Assembly in March, stated, "Not only are more Bahamians dying today from NCDs than any other disease category, they are dying at younger ages."
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