After Slovakia, the Czech Republic also wants to introduce a tax on sugary drinks. The Minister of Health is counting on it as early as next year

While Slovakia plans to introduce an excise tax on sugary drinks as early as January 1, 2025, the Czech Republic could join it half a year later.

Minister of Health Vlastimil Válek (TOP 09) wants to discuss the new consumption tax within the coalition this year, with the idea that it would apply from mid-2025. The fee should apply to all drinks with a high sugar content (more than 50g/l), from lemonades and juices through iced teas to energy or yogurt drinks.

“Sugar and sweetened beverages have a number of negative effects on the health of the population. Sugary drinks lead to an increased risk of tooth decay,” Válek told Czech Television, adding that children often drink these drinks. The proposal to introduce this tax came from the workshop of the National Economic Council of the Government (NERV) and, according to television, it has the support of most government parties except the ODS.

NERV proposes to levy a consumption tax of three crowns and forty halers on drinks with a sugar content of more than fifty grams per liter. For every additional ten grams of sugar per liter of drink, the state would then collect an additional 35 pennies. For reference, a liter of Coca-Cola has 108 grams of sugar, while a liter of Kofola has 80 grams of sugar.

According to PAQ Research sociologist and NERV member Daniel Prokop, the manufacturer’s tax leads to a reduction in sugar content and the consumption of sweetened beverages will also decrease, he told Czech Television.

The intention of Minister Válk is rather criticized by the opposition, not so much because of the contradictory health impact of these drinks, but because of the financial burden on consumers. “I think it’s nonsense, because the government coalition raised the VAT on drinks by forty percent since the New Year,” Česká televize quotes Jan Hrnčíř (SPD), deputy chairman of the parliamentary budget committee, as referring to the consolidation package.

According to Margit Slimáková, a recognized expert on health prevention and nutrition, the introduction of a tax on sugary drinks is one of the possible solutions to excessive sugar consumption, however, she points out that it will not solve anything by itself. “More than restriction, I promote support and inspiration, people need to be convinced and excited,” the nutrition expert told the Epoch Times.

He believes that if people choose to live healthily on their own, it will have a far greater impact than forcing them to do so. However, the state can facilitate a healthy lifestyle, in this case, for example, by creating an environment where it is easy to get access to unsweetened beverages. “And that can be done immediately, for example by offering only unsweetened drinks in kindergartens, schools, hospitals,” explains Slimáková.

Consumption tax currently applies to fuel, tobacco and alcohol in the Czech Republic. In this way, the state earned 148 billion crowns last year. The “Sugar Tax” is currently applied in the European Union by Belgium, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal and Poland.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced his intention to introduce a tax on sweetened beverages at the beginning of this April. The legislation is currently undergoing a comment procedure and should enter into force, if adopted, on January 1, 2025. The announced price increase in Slovakia is expected to range from 4% (yogurt drink) to 40% (sparkling drink). The tax rate for our neighbors will not be a percentage of the product price, but a fixed amount per unit. Taxation applies not only to drinks sweetened with sugar, but also with other sweeteners, including artificial ones.