site.btaPrime Minister Borissov Supports Public Health Tax Bill

Prime Minister Borissov Supports Public Health Tax Bill

Sofia, October 23 (BTA) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov Friday said that he fully supports the Public Health Tax Bill. "It has my full support, the goal is not to collect money from taxes, it is not by chance that we have the lowest taxes in the EU. The Health Minister, as well as I, will be most happy if we have zero per cent collectability from this tax," he told journalists.

Borissov was referring to the Public Health Tax Bill launched for public discussion by the Health Ministry and the Youth and Sports Ministry on October 20. The document stipulates that four groups of products - those containing excessive salt, sugar, caffeine and taurine, and all foods containing trans fats - will be taxed as from next year. The tax will be charged from EU or Bulgarian producers or distributors at the first sale down the chain or from third-country companies upon import. The rate will be 78 per cent of the price on trans-fat imitation dairy products, 58 per cent on trans-fat margarine, 31 per cent on carbonated drinks, 44 per cent on trans-fat bakery products, 19 per cent on salty crackers, 17 per cent on trans-fat fast food, 16 per cent on salty sauces and spices, 15 per cent on salty snacks and on caffeine- and taurine-containing energy drinks, 12 per cent on sugar bakery products, 10 per cent on sugar biscuits and salty soups, 7 per cent on sugar confectionery and ice cream, 4 per cent on sugar energy drinks, and 3 per cent on chocolate confectionery. The idea is to encourage people to eat and drink healthier products and producers to use less harmful ingredients in their foods.

On Friday, Borissov and Health Minister Peter Moskov unveiled a cyclotron complex for production of radiopharmaceuticals for the needs of Sofia's Alexandrovska Hospital.
The cyclotron is the second such apparatus in Bulgaria and the third in Europe, Alexandrovska Hospital Director Kostadin Angelov said. It is worth over 6 million leva, provided under the Health Ministry's budget.

Also on Friday, Agriculture and Food Minister Dessislava Taneva said in reply to a journalist's question that she fully supports the idea of motivating and teaching young people to have healthy eating habits. "I can immediately say that, for example, an energy drink should be subjected to such a [public health] tax or excise duty because it cannot be used in such big quantities. Everything else, however, should be carefully analysed because we are talking about a tax that would be paid by consumers. The best effect should be sought with which to motivate the creation of healthy eating habits," Taneva said.