#Budget2025: Anwar Declares A 'War On Sugar' & Proposes New Tax On Sweet Drinks
This is in conjunction with the 'War on Sugar' initiative, which aims to combat obesity and diabetes.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has proposed to increase the excise tax on sugary drinks by 40 sen per litre
During the tabling of Budget 2025 today, 18 October, Anwar announced the government plans to impose a 50 sen excise tax on sweet drinks this year. Furthermore, the tax will eventually be increased to 90 sen next year.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said these additional revenues will be utilised to cover public health expenditures, including:
- Increasing the supply of SGLT-2 inhibitor medications for diabetes treatment
- Providing Peritoneal Dialysis treatment for end-stage kidney disease to more patients, and FELDA Hemodialysis Centre
"Malaysia is among the most obese in Southeast Asia, and one of the main enemies of non-communicable diseases is sugar," said Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister.
In support of the National Agenda for a Healthy Malaysia, the government will also allocate RM27 million to further stimulate sports and recreational activities, including the organisation of a National Sports Day.
Image via Parlimen Malaysia (YouTube)
In addition, the government also proposed to expand the scope of individual income tax relief to include several medical expenses
To promote self-care health practices, the proposal will include payments for purchase of health screening equipment and disease detection test kits.
Stay tuned for our overview story of #Budget2025!
Image via SAYS
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