Progress in the Pacific on sugar‐sweetened beverage taxes: a systematic review of policy changes from 2000 to 2019

Abstract

Objective: To systematically characterise sugar‐sweetened beverage (SSB) tax policy changes in Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) from 2000 to 2019. Methods: Medline, Google Scholar, Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute database, Factiva and news and government websites were systematically searched up to October 2019. Information was extracted on the date and SSB tax level change, tax type, included beverages, and earmarking; and checked for consistency with local experts. Results: Three‐quarters of PICTs had an SSB tax (n=16/21) and 11 of these were excise taxes that included both imported and locally produced beverages. The level of tax was over 20% in 14 jurisdictions. SSB tax was increased by more than 20 percentage points in eight PICTs. Most taxes were ad valorem or volumetric, three were earmarked and only two taxes targeted sugar‐sweetened fruit juices. The majority of countries (14/21) had different tax rates for imported and locally produced beverages. Conclusions: More than three‐quarters of PICTs have SSB taxes. More than one‐third increased these taxes since 2000 at an amount that is expected to reduce soft drink consumption. Implications for public health: Despite high‐quality tax design elements in some PICTs, SSB control policies could generally be strengthened to improve health benefits, e.g. by targeting all SSBs and earmarking revenue for health.

The benefits and challenges of taxing sugar in a small island state: an interrupted time series analysis

“…This is why investigating the effects of SSB taxes in small island states is useful due to the fact that the consumers cannot buy products from neighbouring regions. In addition to this, studying the effects of SSB taxes in an island setting is important because some of the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the world are being observed in small island jurisdictions [ 11 ]. This can be attributed to the rapid nutritional changes occurring due to the dependency on trade, which, in turn, has increased access to processed food [ 11 ].…”

“…Due to the increasing rates of obesity and diabetes, there has been a prolific rise in sugar taxes being adopted in these small island settings; 75% of the 21 Pacific Islands countries and territories have implemented an SSB policy from the years 2000 to 2019 [ 11 ]. The WHO and the Healthy Caribbean Coalition have worked to introduce these types of taxes to improve health of citizens.…”

Strengthening Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxation for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention: A Comparative Political Economy Analysis Case Study of Fiji and Tonga

“…For instance, as the population of Tonga grows and industry expands, they will be looking to their close neighbours for guidance on how to increase their economy and industry output while also halting the rise of NCDs in line with global targets. Likewise, Fiji can draw from Tonga’s experience in the strengthening of their diet-related fiscal policy, which currently leads in the Pacific region in scope and evidence use through their collaborative efforts with international organizations and donor partners [ 15 ].…”

“…Despite high level government commitment to address what is termed the “NCD crisis” in both Fiji and Tonga, recent evidence indicates that malnutrition and NCD burden continues to be an issue of concern [ 15 ]. Although Fiji and Tonga have both implemented a range of policies for the prevention of diet-related NCDs, including fiscal policies, they have not always had the desired impact, and there is recognized scope to strengthen both policy design and implementation [ 15 , 16 ]. In 2018, Fiji increased the import excise duty for SSBs to FJD 2.00/litre (approximately USD 0.91) with a separate tax for locally produced SSBs of FJD 0.35/litre (around USD 0.17) [ 17 ].…”

Assessing the progress on the implementation of policy and legislation actions to address the Non-Communicable Diseases crisis in the Pacific

“…Sustained political will and collective societal commitments are needed to strengthen these. For the Pacific region, it has struggled to optimise legislative measures to incentivise health goals [ 14 ]. With tobacco control measures, the majority of PICTs have made significant strides [ 15 ], however enforcement remains a gap.…”