In one sweeping move while giving incentives and tax concessions for the manufacturing of tobacco which is said to kill 15,000 people per day globally, Premier Reuben Meade proudly announces that sodas will draw the same increased tariff as alcohol as of October 1.
The new measure will appear in the new tariff, which is expected to become effective on October 1, 2012, and will replace the deceptively flawed law that had been introduced on June 1 this year.
The Hon. Premier announced: “I know that sometimes people say, ”why are you doing that you’re driving up the cost of living, but without any apologies, and I speak on behalf of my colleagues, (noting no one-manism) we have classified sodas in the same category as alcohol and therefore we make absolutely no apologies for putting on the same consumption tax on these sodas as we are putting on the alcoholic beverages.”
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He was giving a feature address at the opening of the Non Communicable Diseases Forum under the theme: ‘Uniting to stem the tide of Chronic Diseases on Montserrat’. He stressed that parents in particular can make better choices and use the fruits that are available; “at least one at some time in the year, rather than the ‘American apple’.”
“We have to protect our children,” he told the audience. “Government will put in place that school meal program included in it as I’ve seen, there will be fruit included in every meal and there will be no sodas.”
Tobacco Manufacturing in Montserrat, a done deal
At a rare press conference the following day, the Premier refused to speak further on the Tobacco manufacturing which he said was a done deal to be concluded next day at the Sitting of the Legislative Assembly.
At the press conference he drew reference to the rice mill of the 90s just prior to the onset of the volcanic activity. He had said he didn’t wish to waste any more time talking about the tobacco factory, but in response to, “ just the question as a rice mill verses a tobacco factory,” he responded:
“If there is a rum factory that wants to come into Montserrat, I will say yes, If there is for example a company that wants to come here to do gambling, I will say no, because gambling in Montserrat will include local people, it also includes a certain level of criminality into your society which I personally have a difficulty with but I want us to stop being so very hypocritical. Where a project comes forward, you have objections to it but when it was happening in the society without people of Montserrat benefiting, you (the people) did not make any objections.”
He concluded: “xxxxx, I have not heard you object, anybody like you object to people smoking in Montserrat or government collecting taxes.”
When he said, he raised sodas (aerated beverages) to the same level as alcohol, the information in the new tariff shows:
