Published 3 May 2020
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Health is Government’s priority: PM Harris hints at increasing tax on alcohol and tobacco
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, May 3, 2020 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — As the country is engaged in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris has hinted that Government might increase tax on alcohol and tobacco, noting that the health of the nation is the wealth of the nation.
“The CARICOM had set itself as a health priority to increase taxes on alcohol and tobacco as a way of reducing consumption,” said Prime Minister Harris on Saturday May 2, when he appeared on Inside the New programme on WINN FM 98.9. “At least two countries had gone that path, and Barbados was contemplating.”
Dr Harris was responding to a question that had been put to him by host of the Inside the News programme Mr Garth Wilkin. The programme was held under the theme ‘Mitigating the economic and social-psychological impact of COVID-19’.
“Tax in anything is an unpopular decision, but sometimes we have to look at the benefit of the society as a whole, rather than the few who might complain,” programme host Mr Wilkin had observed. He then asked the Prime Minister: “Is the government willing to take such an unpopular step to for example tax sugary foods or other unhealthy foods?”
The Honourable Prime Minister who also has lead responsibility for Human Resource Development, Health and HIV/AIDS issues in the CARICOM’s quasi-cabinet, said that at the CARICOM level they had decided that the countries that had increased taxes on alcohol and tobacco were going to be used as models.
“We would look at the studies of the results to see whether that had led to significant reduction in the consumption of alcohol or cigarettes, and certainly if that is what is required, we are prepared to go that way,” said Dr Harris.
He however observed that the difficult has always been the fact that his Team Unity Government is one that so far has not introduced one single new tax and as a matter of fact it has been reducing taxes.
“But because I have said consistently that the health of the nation is our priority, we will do all that it takes to get our people there, adding not just fiscal measures but a more vigorous public education programme,” said the Prime Minister.
Earlier on, in his answer, he had informed the programme host that the Caribbean is a region that has suffered long and dearly with respect to non-communicable diseases which can be prevented by proactive action in individuals’ part as lifestyle is at the heart of many of the non-communicable diseases, based on what they eat, what they drink, and engaging in risky behaviours.
“The matter of the local food in this COVID fight, one of the prescriptions is that we boost our immune system, improve upon our intake in particular of vitamin C, of course the sleeping and all of those things are good,” noted the Prime Minister. “In this COVID fight there is specific prohibition in that the liquor licences have been repealed and part of the reason for that is to ensure that people do not engage in risky behaviours as a consequence of the consumption of alcohol.”
Prime Minister Harris appeared on the popular Inside the News programme on WINN FM 98.9 alongside the Minister of Agriculture, Health, and National Insurance et al, the Hon Eugene Hamilton, and Director of Counselling in the Ministry of Social Services, Mrs Michele de la Coudray-Blake.
