Guvamatanga Fails To Provide Answers On How Sugar Tax Was Used – Eduzim News

By A Correspondent| Government has amassed US$30.8 million from collection of special surtax levied on sugar content in beverages since its introduction early this year, in what authorities claimed as meant to raise financial resources to procure cancer treatment equipment.

George Guvamatanga, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion made the disclosure on Friday 13 December 2024, in a letter written to lawyers representing Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR), which had initially requested to be furnished with information detailing the total amount of sugar tax collected by government and how the financial resources had been utilised.

In its letter, which was written on 21 November 2024 to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, ZADHR, which was represented by human rights lawyer, Precious Chakasikwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, asked the Professor Mthuli Ncube-led ministry to provide it with an account of how much special surtax on sugar content in beverages had been collected from 9 February 2024, when government gazetted the Customs and Excise (Tariff) (Amendment) Notice, 2024 (No. 5), which was published in Statutory Instrument 16 of 2024.

ZADHR also requested the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to furnish it with an account of which cancer drugs and equipment had been procured since the introduction of the sugar tax and the list of hospitals to which these had been distributed to.

The doctor’s association made the request for access to the information in terms of the provisions of section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act and its request was aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.

In response to ZADHR’s letter, Guvamatanga on Friday 13 December 2024 disclosed that US$30.8 million of special surtax on sugar content in beverages has been collected as of November 2024.

Guvamatanga told ZADHR that the procurement of drugs and medical equipment is done under the purview of the Ministry of Health and Child Care and referred the doctors’ association to the Douglas Mombeshora-led ministry, saying his ministry is not a competent authority to give information about such a request.

In February 2024, government introduced a levy on sugary beverages claiming that this was aimed at discouraging people from consuming too much sugar, which it blamed for causing some forms of cancer.

Professor Ncube justified the introduction of the sugar tax as a response to growing concerns on the adverse effects of consumption of sugar, stating that the funds generated from the levy would be ring-fenced for therapy and procurement of cancer equipment.

Related