Abomoba Bacela Ushwele Ngentela Kashukela

By: Zilungile Mkhize

South African Cane Growers say an increase in the sugar tax would be catastrophic.

The chairperson, Andrew Russell, says they have previously drawn Treasury’s attention to the findings of an assessment that shows sugar tax cost the country more than two-billion-rand in the first year of its implementation.

He has called for the Health Promotion Levy, or sugar tax, to be scrapped to enable the industry to grow.

The SA Cane Growers has further warned that doubling the tax would also threaten thousands of jobs.

Russell has appealed to the minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, to also take possible job losses due to an increased sugar tax into consideration in his Budget Speech today.