|
The General inspection of the Social Business and the one of Ministry of Finance returned a report in the ministries of Health and the Budget proposing to tax the sugary drinks, the alcohol as well as some fat food. These propositions have been excluded for the meantime by Bercy. In 2007, the Senators had advanced the idea of a tax of 1% on the sugary drinks, a measure finally abandoned. But a report titled "the relevance and the feasibility of a nutritional tax" put back in July in the ministries of health and the budget would put back this idea on the agenda. The newspaper "The Echoes" published the big lines of it August 5. To the program, the main measures are an increase of the VAT of 5,5% to 19,5% on the "too fat, too sugary, too salty products that are not of strict necessity" and an increase of the tax system applicable to the alcoholic and sugary drinks. Finally, the "snacking" will also be touched by a rise of the VAT. Thus, sandwiches, hamburgers and other pizzas could be the subject of this increase of the prices.
The overweight and the obesity are factors of starting point of numerous pathologies, as the diabetes, cholesterol or even the cancer. In this sense, these measures can appear laudable (especially as they would fill a part of the hole of the health insurance), but the problem is that these reforms touch directly to the spending power of the households. The igas recognizes as well as "the most underprivileged populations, who eat the less good, could be penalized" more strongly.
The minister of the Budget, Eric Woerth indicated that he was "out of the question to increase the VAT on food products, especially in a context of spending power difficulties for the French." The report is not put all the same to the trash can:  the minister added that "all or gone" some text would be submitted to the National assembly.
|
