FPI: Tax on sugary drinks like ‘tax on water’

The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) yesterday called for a change in the first package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, lamenting that the levy on sweetened beverages was “essentially a tax on water.”

In a briefing, FPI chair Jesus L. Arranza said the group’s members—particularly candy makers and beverage firms as well as sugar millers—were bearing the brunt of the taxman “singling out” the sweet stuff.

The FPI counts among its members 132 individual firms and 32 industry groups.

Arranza also lamented the government’s moves toward the implementation of putting warning labels on products that contain sugar.

“We cannot help but observe that the government is singling out sugar yet again with this planned move,” Arranza said.

He added that sugar, and products that contain it, did not deserve to be “put in a bad light” by such measures, considering that many companies in the manufacturing sectors rely on it.