Bill Tabled & Sugar Tax Consultation Report

May 11, 2018

Today [May 11], the Government tabled the Customs Tariff Amendment [No. 2] Bill with proposed changes to the import duties relating to sugar and certain sugar products.

“The Ministry of Health also published the full and final report of the Sugar Tax Consultation on its website,” the Government said.

“This follows the Sugar Tax Consultation Interim Report of March 2018 which concluded that there was community support for the proposed sugar tax and that fruit juices and milk products should be excluded.

“There was also public support for a duty rate of 75 percent and that the tax should include dilutables [cordials and powders].

“Additional feedback from the consultation regarding chocolate and diet sodas will be included in future updates to the customs tariff, as it requires further adjustments to the tariff codes.:

The full Sugar Tax Consultation Final Report follow below [PDF here]:

click here Bermuda sugar tax

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Comments (40)

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  1. Pat E says:

    “There was also public support for a duty rate of 75 percent…”

    Total nonsense. The questions were presented in such a way for any oleaginous politician or civil servant to twist any answer to make it appear that way. This is a total money grab.

    • Toodle-oo says:

      Spot on .
      I just hope that everyone who supports this group is happy when their cost of living takes yet another hike due to what went down between 1998 and 2012.

  2. Truth is killin’ me... says:

    MONEY GRAB PURPORTING TO BE A TAX! YOU ALL PERPETRATING A FRAUD!!

  3. Me says:

    There is more sugar in a fruit juice than a cola ? WTH ? This will not achieve anything cigarettes go up in price all the time don’t stop anyone sugar is another addictive substance just government desperate revenue collection , from us folks on the lowrer end of the equality wage scale makes it harder

  4. Gregg says:

    That’s why I and others will Vote OBA next time around to take this back out! PLP, Kim Wilson has put the final nail to you all’s coffin! This is ridiculous!

    • Coffee says:

      It’s the salt . The fact is that the salt”ll put the nail in your coffin . Blood pressure to high . Screaming at Kim and the PLP like that. Calm down , chill out .

      • Anbu says:

        Werent anybody more salty than you and yours there coffee. Hence why u all stomped your feet and acted like children holding up everything amd anything. Isnt it funny how your party is doing everything they said they wouldnt? Hhhmmmm. Interesting. I guess its cool if you look a certain way tho. Lmao. DAF

        • Coffee says:

          What the hack type of sweets are you on ?

          • SMH says:

            “what the hack” type of caffeine you on?

            you need to stop smoking that rock, calm down and shut your stupid facehole.

  5. Now What says:

    Now when they state coffee-mate, are they referring to the powder that does not contain any sugar or the liquid flavored coffee-mate that does.

    • Now What says:

      Nuts. Contains glucose syrup solids. Don’t drop your pennies. I will pick them up. Had to give up milk, and stopped adding sugar to my coffee ages ago. I am not drinking it straight up.

      • Anonymous says:

        Real men drink their coffee black. You don’t need all the extra calories from the creamer.

        • Anbu says:

          Real men dont calorie count either.

        • Now What says:

          All female.

        • Now What says:

          You are right though that the creamer is loaded in calories. I stopped using milk when the milk always went off long before the use by date. Pinching pennies isn’t always good for you. Lesson learned.

  6. Now What says:

    Bye bye Ribena and Ginger Ale. What will I use when I get sick now.

    • Anonymous says:

      Just use actual ginger root. Make tea out of it.

      • Now What says:

        I use ginger root in may things. However when you are hanging over the porcelain pot and need fluids ginger root is too spicy to keep down.

    • Joke says:

      Diet Ginger Ale! No sugar and tastes well!!!

    • puzzled says:

      Sugar cane.

  7. Stinging Nettle says:

    Department of Health needs to stay out of legislation. Educate, educate, educate!

  8. Carlton says:

    I hope they don’t tax our Bermuda Champagne “fooot punch”

  9. PANGAEA says:

    We have once again the clasic case of the inocent suffering for the guilty with the lower income group feeling the pinch.

    Bermuda tourism can ill aford any price increases, the cost of a dark and stormy will sky rocket.

    Sugar is not the only food group that contributes to people getting fat, alcohol ( Beer) ,carbohydrates and LACK OF PROPER EXERCISE takes their toll,the fat in red meat can cause many problems.

    We all have diferent rates of matabolism , as we are not all alike, age and hereditary also make a difference.

    Should people require advice on diet they should see their family Doctor as there may be other contributing factors for weight gain or loss.

  10. Trufth says:

    Look folks, this is a “choice tax.” You can choose to buy sugary products and pay the higher price, or you can choose NOT TO PAY this tax by not purchasing these products. It’s our choice. Simple.

    I would like to see a list or perhaps in the stores a different colored price tag on those items that are being taxed. This way, we can CHOOSE to pay the tax or not.

    • Anbu says:

      So its not a choice then is what u said there. “If you dont want to pay the higher price?” It shouldnt be raised in the first place.

  11. PANGAEA says:

    If people only realised how artiificial packaged sweetners and regular white granulated suger was made with the chemicals involved in the process, they would not need a law to deter them from making the purchase.

    Bermuda tourism can ill aford any price increases,as the cost of a dark and stormy will sky rocket.

    Sugar is not the only food group that contributes to people getting fat, alcohol ( Beer) ,carbohydrates and LACK OF PROPER EXERCISE takes their toll, aslo the fat in red meat can cause many problems.

    We all have diferent rates of matabolism , as we are not all alike, age and hereditary also make a difference.

    Should people require advice on diet they should see their family Doctor as there may be other factors contributing to whight gain or loss.

    • SMH says:

      “If people only realised how artiificial packaged sweetners and regular white granulated suger was made with the chemicals involved in the process,”

      If only people like you understood basic high school level chemistry, you’d stop making these baseless statements about things you clearly don’t understand.

  12. Observer says:

    Look at the other jurisdictions that have implemented this type of tax, they have not achieved what they wanted by reducing the comsumption of sugar. All they did was raise the thr price and make the cost of livinf increase and make those struggling struggle more. If you want to reduce the consumption give incentives, and help local organic farmers grow more, introduce community excerise programs and get people involved in those programs. Encourage business to allow staff to be healthy.

  13. makes sense only if says:

    Okay unlike most of you I support a taxi on sugar. No, not the 75% rate! I have not read all of the report, however, here is where i have a problem! The money collected, is it going directly in a fund to cut the cost of health care due to sugar and it products?

    • PBanks says:

      We haven’t heard anything to suggest that the tax will go anywhere other than the Consolidated Fund.

  14. Imjustsaying says:

    I hope they want be surprised of the next general election results because this action will be the first nail in their political coffin.

  15. Bullwinkle T. M says:

    Tax greed.
    Tax dopey.
    Tax stupid.
    Tax racism.
    Please try not to tax free will…or prerogative…itself thought…sentience is mine…when I need your opinion…I will ask you…right after I present it to you!

  16. Gregg says:

    If people start exercising their kids from school up, we wouldn’t have lazy fat people around and getting diabetes,it’s their choice so don’t hit out at society cause of their willingness to eat everything and don’t burn it up. I’ve been eating sugar all my life, especially Frosted Flakes and at 60, I’m still healthy as ever.

    • Toodle-oo says:

      So true .
      I can’t resist adding that when I was a kid we were actually poor but we didn’t know it. Sodas , chips and candies/chocolate were luxuries that we couldn’t afford but there was never a shortage of good food in the house (and nothing was wasted)
      As kids we all had to pull our weight and there was endless work to be done. Large gardens had to be tended , the huge yard had to be mowed every 2-3 weeks , animals had to be cared for and pop’s old 3rd hand car had to be cleaned often . And that’s not even counting the inside chores . We got up by the sun every morning and there was only one channel (in black and white) on the TV which wasn’t switched on until 7pm
      Today too many of the kids get junk food all day , play on their cell phones and video games and have no work to do around the house as it’s all condos and no yards. Not to mention a TV in every room of the house .
      No-one in my family on either side has ever had a weight problem or diabetes but now we’re going to have this money grab foisted on us thanks to 1998-2012 and the people who are the ‘fuel’ for this stupidity aren’t going to change a thing about themselves except complain that all of a sudden everything is sooooo expansive .

      • Now What says:

        So true. I remember when I got to go with my parents to a Christmas house party there were gold fish and quality streets. I thought these people were rich. That was in the 80′s.

        • Toodle-oo says:

          And remember Easter ?
          The best part was going to the gran’s house and doing the peanut hunt out in the yard.
          No choco bunnies , peeps or candies in sight anywhere.
          (But then we had to mow their grass for them afterwards)

  17. Puma says:

    A new tax…how sweet is that?
    These lot are real sweet hearts!
    Just in time for mother’s Day.