Sweet drinks still a go sell - Vendors believe incoming tax on sugary liquids won’t deter Jamaicans

The Government's intended move to place a new tax on sugary drinks in Jamaica is already bubbling up strong opinions among vendors and consumers.

Last Thursday, Finance Minister Fayval Williams announced the special consumption tax on non-alcoholic sweetened beverages, which aims to raise about $10.1 billion. Some are welcoming the health push that is part of the initiative, while others argue the tax will make little difference since people will still be buying sweet drinks. When THE STAR visited corner shops in the Corporate Area yesterday, 32-year-old shopkeeper Sandra Llewellyn was busy selling customers, one buying the very sweetened beverages that will be facing the additional costs.

"A long time dem trying fi move away from sugary drinks. For years now dem a threaten we with it and people still a buy it," she said. "This is not something weh ago change overnight."

Llewellyn, who has operated her small community shop in Gordon Town for nearly a decade, believes the tax is a positive step from a public health standpoint, even if it may initially pinch customers' pockets.

"Health-wise, mi think it's a good move. Too much sugar consumption cause plenty sickness - diabetes, pressure, all kinda ting. But behaviour take time fi change," she said.

"Mi actually see more children coming in asking for water or juice instead of straight soda like before. It nuh drastic, but the change start likkle by likkle," she said. "Parents more conscious now too."

But over in St Ann, shop and bar owner Gregory is far less convinced the tax will have the desired effect.

"People still ago buy it," he told THE STAR bluntly. "All when price raise, dem just complain and still come back same way."

Gregory, who distributes beverages to several small shops and bars, said history has already shown that taxation does not necessarily curb demand.

"Look pon cigarette. Government tax it plenty time, price gone up again and again, and people still smoke. A di same thing this ago be."

According to Gregory, the biggest impact may not be on consumers, but along the supply chain, where distributors and retailers will have to adjust quickly to higher costs.

"Once the tax touch the supplier, everything else automatically go up. By the time it reach shop, is a different price structure. Every link inna di chain haffi respond," he said. "So is not just shoppers feel it. Is wholesaler, truck man, retailer, everybody and we haffi work with it."

The new measure forms part of a longer policy direction by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, which over the years has been pushing to reduce sugar consumption through school-based nutrition guidelines, public education campaigns about the dangers of excessive sugar intake, and tighter monitoring of what is marketed to children. All of it is aimed at curbing the island's growing burden of lifestyle-related illnesses.

"It's like how dem start talk more 'bout healthy lifestyle. People listening, just not all at once. Yuh cyaan expect one tax fi solve everything in a year," said Gregory.

"Jamaican love dem sweet drink. Dem might buy one less now and then, but dem nah stop," Gregory said.