A sugary drink tax could be on the way to the N.W.T.
A tax on your favourite juice or soda could be on its way to the Northwest Territories — but the government is looking to hear your feedback first.
Minister Robert C. McLeod brought up the idea of a tax on sugar sweetened drinks in 2017. At the time, he said the tax was being considered as a way to discourage consumption and cut down on obesity and diabetes in the territory.
He also said that the intention was to have the tax in place in 2018-19.
The territorial government also released a discussion paper looking at options for the proposed tax. The tax would apply to any drink that is sugar-sweetened, including ready to drink tea or coffee beverages, energy drinks, sports drinks and fruit beverages that aren't 100 per cent fruit juice. Drinks that are made from milk or yogurt would be exempt from the tax because they provide other health benefits.
Any diet carbonated drinks would not be taxed.
The proposed tax is 5 cents per 100 millilitres for pre-packaged drinks. For fountain drinks, the tax would have a scale:
10 cents for less than 250 millilitres
20 cents for 250 to 500 millilitres
30 cents for 500 to 750 millilitres
45 cents for over 750 millilitres
In the discussion paper, the territorial government said that data from 2015 indicates over 39 per cent of N.W.T. adults are considered obese.
The government is hosting three public engagement sessions over the last week of January:
Tuktoyaktuk, Jan. 28 from noon to 2 p.m. at the council chambers
Inuvik, Jan. 28 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Mackenzie Hotel
Yellowknife, Jan. 29 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Nova Hotel
If anyone would like to participate in the meetings in an official language other than English, they are asked to contact 867-767-9158.
Residents can also submit their thoughts via email to scscomms@gov.nt.ca or through the online survey.
The deadline for the survey is March 22.
