BHW party-list rep to file bill on salt tax
A LAWMAKER will file a bill in the incoming 19th Congress that seeks to impose a two-tier tax on products with sodium content to encourage manufacturers to shift to low-salt goods.
“Low sodium products would have a much lower tax rate compared to high sodium products,” Barangay Health Workers (BHW) Party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co said in a statement on Sunday.
This aims to help bring down high health costs from too much consumption of salty foods, she said.
Revenues generated from the salt tax will provide additional funding for the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act, she added.
The lawmaker said she has high hopes for this proposal since the tax on sweetened products, contained under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion, has successfully helped fund the country’s health programs and promoted new products with natural juices or no sugar content.
“Consumers have been choosing low sugar over high sugar,” she said.
For food like dried fish, a staple in many parts of the country, she said local governments can be given authority to provide incentives for products with less salt content.
“High sodium consumption greatly increases health risks and costs because salty diets lead to cardiovascular and kidney disorders leading to high medical costs,” Ms. Co said. “We must address this public health crisis causing many deaths every year.” — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan
