– The government is sabotaging its own public health goals

– The government has given up one of the most important tools to influence sugar consumption in the right direction. That’s what Mina Gerhardsen says. She is the General Secretary of the National Public Health Association.

Starting in the New Year, the current tax on chocolate and sugary products will be eliminated. At the same time, the government says no to studying a new variant that could more deliberately reduce sugar consumption in Norway.

– The government is sabotaging its own public health goals, says Gerhardsen. She believes that the current majority in the Storting does not have the will to prioritize health.

She reacts particularly strongly to the fact that the proposal to investigate a new fee has been put away in the drawer.

– This will mean that it will take even longer to repair the damage, he says about the elimination of the current sugar tax.

Ministry: Can’t Research New Now

In order for the ruling parties and the FRP to agree on next year’s budget, the ruling parties had to agree to major tax cuts on typical border commercial products. One of the things they agreed to was to remove the entire tax on chocolate and candy.

But the agreement goes further. This was revealed by Bent Høie’s Secretary of State, Frøydis Høyem, in an interview with Aftenposten this weekend.

– As a result of the budget liquidation, it is not relevant for the government to study a new form of tax on chocolate and sugar.

Say no to high priority measures

With this statement, he ended what many perceive as a very important measure for a healthier diet.

To understand what this debate is about, it is good to know the following:

• Norway has and has had for many years a tax on chocolate and sugary products. It was introduced when sugar was considered a luxury. Therefore, it has not had any health justification. For that reason, it has not been designed accordingly. It has also been random and has been widely criticized for it. This is the one that is now being removed. Therefore, the government will not replace him with anyone else.
• A public committee recently (2019) reviewed sugar taxes. Most proposed to remove the current fee and replace it with a variant that has a health justification. It is intended to vary depending on the amount of sugar in an item. But you have to investigate.
• A group of 34 independent Norwegian nutrition experts arrived in mid-September this year with the report Healthier eating environment in Norway: Assessment of current policy and
  recommendations for future efforts. One of the clearest recommendations of the group was the following: introduce a differentiated sugar tax based on health.

Save an important tool

Knut-Inge Klepp, area director of the National Institute of Public Health, was part of the aforementioned public committee that reviewed current sugar taxes. He regretted Sunday that the budget settlement limits a professional studio with a new fee.

Gerhardsen believes that the Minister of Health’s toolbox of measures to improve public health is now empty. She believes that she has rejected other measures that work, like. prohibition of placing sugary products in the boxes of the stores.

It also has little faith in it helping so much that the Ministry of Health and Care Services has a collaboration with the food industry to reduce the sugar content in food.

– Providing good and healthy health options is a political responsibility. It cannot be left in the hands of those who run the store. They have another job, says Gerhardsen.

Just over ten years ago she was Secretary of State for the Labor Party.

Høie met the industry on Tuesday

However, Høie’s secretary of state told Aftenposten this weekend that when the sugar tax is removed, “we must work even harder with other measures.”

He noted that the Minister of Health and Care Services will meet with the food industry in a meeting on Tuesday this week, and that then collaboration to reduce sugar intake will be discussed.

Occurred. This collaboration between the government and the food industry to reduce sugar content was discontinued in 2018. The reason was a surprisingly high increase in excise duties on chocolate and sugary products and non-alcoholic beverages in 2018.

Following tax cuts in 2019 and 2020, the food industry has signaled that cooperation will resume.

According to the ministry, Health and Care Services Minister Bent Høie took advantage of Tuesday’s meeting to encourage the food industry to work to reduce added sugar consumption and that sugar consumption does not increase as a result of cuts taxes.

– He emphasized that the sugar collaboration will be even more important in the future, says the ministry.

They have switched to drinks

The majority of the committee that evaluated sugar taxes also proposed a health-based tax on soft drinks and other alcoholic beverages. The government has listened to that advice. As of July 1 of next year, the tax will be modified. The government had originally proposed reducing the tax on beverages with little or no sugar and keeping the current level at rest.

After the budget negotiations, it ended with a tax cut also on sugar-containing soft drinks and a further reduction on drinks with little or no sugar.