The current consumption pattern of Indonesian people shows an alarming trend, especially in terms of excessive intake of sugar, salt, and fat. The government has long highlighted this trend by implementing limits on the consumption of sugar, salt, and fat through the release of the Minister of Health Regulation Number 30 Year 2013. The regulation states that each person is recommended to consume 10 percent sugar from a total energy of 200 kilocalories or equivalent to 4 tablespoons or 50 grams, 2000 milligrams of sodium equivalent to 1 teaspoon or 5 grams, and 20-25 percent fat from a total energy of 702 kilocalories or equivalent to 5 tablespoons or 67 grams. This policy was established in response to the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) over the past few decades that account for 73 percent of deaths in the country.
Reported from Policy Brief: Excise Taxes on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), a UN agency tasked with regulating health globally, identified the excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) as a “best buy” policy as it allows the government to cover the direct and indirect costs arising from excessive
consumption of SSBs. On the other hand, UNICEF also recommends excise taxes on SSBs as an effective tool to prevent overweight and diet-related NCDs, alongside measures such as front-of-pack nutritional labels (FOPNL) and restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods. According to UNICEF, more than 40 countries around the world have implemented excise taxes on SSBs, including the United States and the United Kingdom. The US government has imposed a US$0.01 tax in Berkeley, California since 2015 and it has been proven to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages by 21 percent. Meanwhile, in another part of the country, the UK has also imposed an excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages “Soft Drinks Levy” since 2018. A year after the introduction of the tax, it is not the volume of sales that has decreased, but the amount of overall sugar content in sugar-sweetened beverages by 10 percent or around 30 grams. This excise policy has shown a positive impact by reducing the purchase and consumption of SSBs and reducing the sugar intake in a population.
Edy Wuryanto as a Member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives assessed that the SSBs excise tax regulation is an important step in controlling the consumption of sugar, salt, and fat in society. This step is also in line with Sustainable Development Goal number three, namely Good Health and Well-Being, where limits on the consumption of sugar, salt, and fat are able to reduce the surge in supporting factors for non-communicable diseases due to obesity and unhealthy diets.
Author: Adhia Raidah Kusdiyanti NIM : 192231017