- Publika iha: 10 Janeiro 2023
The Minister of Health, Doctor Odete Maria Freitas Belo, said the ministry is in favour of a tax increase on sugar and sugary drinks, because these products are responsible for the sharp increase in chronic non-infectious diseases including diabetes in Timor-Leste.
“The Ministry of Health spends large sums of money to send patients with cardiac disease and hypertension for treatment overseas. So, we must take this into consideration. The Ministry of Finances believes that a tax increase will increase the nations revenue, and for us in health, this will also contribute towards people limiting their consumption of sugar, or too much glucose, drinking and smoking. This way we will reduce the number of people we need to send overseas. Rigth now, there are people aged in their 40s and 50s suffering from hypertension and cardiac disease,” she said at Hotel Timor, in Dili.
She added that every year, the government spends between 7-12 million American dollars to pay for the treatment of patients overseas. As such, the government needs to find mechanisms to prevent diseases, including increase tax on products that are not healthy so there is a reduction of their consumption.
According to results from a national research on the risk of non-infectious diseases, those aged above 18 years of age, 1.5% suffer from diabetes and a further 1.4% of the population is pre-diabetic.
In 2023, the Timorese government is increasing import taxation on certain products including tobacco from US$50 per kilogram to US$100 per Kilogram, for sugar US$1 per litre, and US$3 per litre for sugary drinks.
Meanwhile, the the World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative for Timor-Leste, Dr. Arvind Mathur said according to clinical data, everyday across health facilities, there is a sharp increase in non-infection diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. He calls on the Timorese government to take concrete actions that will encourage society to adopt healthier lifestyles.
“These diseases can be prevented by adopting healthier lifestyles, with increased physical activity, not smoking, not drinking alcohol, with a healthy diet, and with emotional control,” he said.
He added that increasing taxes on sugar and sugary drinks is one step that will contribute to reducing their consumption, but that it is also important to undertake health promotion and civic education to the public that they do not need additional sugar or oil in the food they consume.