After the meeting with representatives of the soft drink industry and voting in general in the IEPS Law, Morena and its allies announced a reservation for modify the tax for beverages sweetened with non-caloric sweeteners in presentations like “light” o “zero” be 1.5 pesos per liter and not 3.08 pesos per liter as was stated in the opinion that the deputies generally endorsed.
Carlos Puente Salascoordinator of the deputies of the Green Environmental Party of Mexico (PVEM), presented the reservation, highlighted as an “adjustment” and a differentiation of sugar-sweetened beverages from those that are prepared with sweeteners.
He recognized the sensitivity of the Federal Executive to give a “different tax treatment” to sugary drinks, which will maintain a IEPS for 3.8 pesos per literagainst drinks prepared with sweeteners (light), which will remain at 1.5 pesos per liter.
You may also be interested in: Deputies endorse increase in IEPS for sugary drinks and more products
“Not making this difference and not marking it clearly would be limiting the possibility that this industry can innovate and reformulate its products, to offer healthier alternatives to consumers,” he stated.
He stressed the importance of dialogue and the construction of agreements and no one should be “shocked” when the doors of the Congress of the Union to dialogue with the soft drink industry.
“For us in the green, it is the essence of politics. No one should be frightened by the opening of the doors of the Congress of the Unionno one should be scared that there is a dialogue with the industry. Here it is clear that it is listened to, that it is attended to, that it is possible to understand the need to make adjustments to a proposal that the head of the Executive sent and what they say about not even a comma moving is thrown overboard,” he warned.
You may also be interested in: These products will increase in price due to the increase in the IEPS
In contrast, the PAN deputy Ector Jaime Barba He asserted that it is a new tax that taxes flavored beverages with sweeteners and is a “recovery” measure.
“Now, with this agreement, it will only be half, because they dropped from 3 to 1.50. So, if you are pregnant, only half of the pregnancy. If you have cognitive problems, only half of the cognitive and imagine also what it is going to mean for brain behavior,” he questioned.