CEO of Colian calls to postpone introduction of sugar tax by 2 years

“On behalf of beverage manufacturers, I am asking you to delay the implementation of the so-called sugar law,” wrote Jan Kolański, President of the Management Board of Colian.

"We anticipate a 30 percent drop in beverage sales following the introduction of the new levy  ̶ this is what happened on the British market after the introduction of the sugar tax. Product prices will rise by up to 70 percent, so there is a serious risk that we will not keep our businesses at such rates. On the spot, it should be emphasized that the industry will also have to pay a recycling fee, which is another obstacle in the development of our enterprises. Additional declines in sales of our products result from the temporary closure of the hotel, catering and aviation industries. Summing up, beverage producers found themselves in a dramatic situation," Koliański wrote.

In his opinion, the factor supporting our argument is the fact that Poles consume less and less sugar. In recent years, according to GUS data, the consumption of this product has decreased by as much as 11 percent from 47 kg per year in 2018 to 42.1 kg in 2019. Moreover, this year the consumption of carbonated beverages has significantly decreased (excluding the Cola market). ) by as much as 11 percent in liters. Consumption of non-carbonated beverages decreased by 15 percent. These data show that carbonated drinks are not the main source of the problem, and reducing sugar consumption can be achieved by other methods – not necessarily as drastic as an additional charge, as shown by the experiences of other countries.

(WBJ)