In an open letter, several sugar industry associations have called on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to honour a commitment he made in his 2023 Budget, where he announced that consultations would be initiated with affected and interested parties on adjustments to the Health Promotion Levy (HPL), or sugar tax, including the proposed lowering of the 4 g threshold and the extension of the levy to fruit juices. “These consultations are essential for affected and interested parties to provide factual information and data on the potential unintended consequences of the HPL, which will help guide the National Treasury decision-making process,” the open letter stated.
