I agree with a Fast Food Tax.

If people want to eat foods that make them sick that is there right AS LONG AS THEY PAY THE BILL FOR THIER ILL HEALTH LATER ON.

They will show up at the PMH with high blood pressure, heart attack, cancer, diabetes 2. Obesity is the number two or three cause of cancer in many countries.

Fast food is the leading cause of obesity in many countries and, as we have been reported to be the sixth fattest country in the world, it would seem that fast food is playing its part here.

Other countries are introducing taxes because their national health programs can't keep up with all the cost of the sickness caused by obesity.

So yes, tax the fast food 10% or 20% extra and put it into the National Health system.

Fast Food need to make changes to their menu and put more healthy products.

We absolutely need a fast food tax, one of at least 15%. It will deter some from eating such unhealthy food, and it will help cover the cost of the increase in healthcare to treat persons who are obese in part beacause they frequent these establishments. Why should my taxes be increased to pay for NHI while Mr. Tsavoussis gets rich. He should be ashamed of himself making such an argument, I hope he sleeps well at night knowing that he sells a toxic product that is leading many of our citizens to an early grave. He has a moral responsibility to help pay for the terrible healthcare problems he is causing and getting rich from.

Chicken is 30 percent not 40. Shows how much he knows his business. Fast food is killing Bahamians. It is poison. "people have a preference" People also have a preference to drive drunk, do not wear a seat belt, do drugs, smoke and drink (both are heavily taxed) and many other things that are considered dangerous and unhealthy but, the government sometimes has to protect people from themselves especially when we have a quasi government funded health system supported by taxes. Want to have bad habits? Then they need to be taxed to pay for your healthcare. How much economic loss does the Bahamas suffer due to obesity, health care costs, loss of productivity, and shorter lifespans?

Just like in any other business the law of supply and demand is in play. With fast food businesses they pay customs duties, VAT and now the govt is considering sales tax on top of that. It is unreasonable. The costs will be passed on to the customer and companies will have to run leaner to ensure they maintain profitability.

If you tax fast food, you should also tax gambling houses and increase taxes on alcohol and tobacco! They hall have negative effects on health!

Fully agree with you Joeblow!!!

And while we are at it lets move on to paying taxes for free govt public schooling etc for foreigners.

....it is simply not fair for Bahamian citizens to be paying taxes to support the foreign maids, gardeners and other foreign workers who bring in their children and other family members who utilize the gpvt schools and other services for free!!!!.....And as a result of this massive expenditures outlay to provide for forrogners..Bahamian are deprived of better quality and benrfits for themselves.

Problem is a lot of these foreign workers are being bought in to help tackle the health crisis PMH is suffering from due to all the unhealthy eating. Also once these foreigners are here they should be being contributing NIB, Paying VAT when they make purchases , having a work permit fee paid to Government, all of which contributes to paying for those school fees etc.If they are not it will be because their employer (a Bahamian) is not doing what they legally should. Or should we pass a law saying if you haven't contributed for X years (say 5) then you can't benefit from any Government Service. Of course this will affect many Bahamians as well. .

There is nothing healthy about fast food ........ It should be taxed just like cigarettes .... 200% ..... and while you are at it do the same with soda, beer, rum, white rice/sugar/flour, yellow cheese etc. ........... This country is at a drastic point in social health and it will take drastic measures to fix it ...... Eat native foods and ban 85% of the garbage sold in the foodstores and restaurants.

Just look at the passengers on any Bahamasair flight out of Florida back to Nassau.

Average weight: 300 pounds.

Your average Bahamian should be made to buy 2 tickets when flying.

Whatever this tax is, it is not nearly enough.

The point is that if you want to eat fast food, be my guest,. Just don't ask me to pay for your hospital and doctors bills.

Pay an extra 10% or 20% on your fast food bill so that you have already made a contribution to the ill health caused by your fast food habits.

You pay high tax on cigarettes so why not pay some tax on fast food, neither is good for your health.

On Thursday look at the obituaries, there are far too many middle age Bahamian dying long before they should. We are getting close to a time when the life expectancy is going to decrease for the first time in a long time. Government has a social duty to do what is best for its people. They can do this in two ways, the carrot or the stick. The carrot would be to encourage healthy eating with tax reductions on healthy food, and encourage an active lifestyle by ensuring adequate and safe parks in neighbourhoods. The stick is to tax those things that are unhealthy. Everyone knows fast food is unhealthy, as with Cigarettes, drinks and a number of other items. Tax them to raise the funds to pay for the subsequent health issues and people can then deiced if that Number 5 biggie size is worth it or not.

I like fast food; it is a great way to cull the many gluttonous among us. The weak are supposed to die out. Why we try to save everyone from their own devices and weaknesses is beyond me.
When the poorest and most gluttonous among us either die out or start making better decisions in life then fast food will die out as well.

No action or law enacted ever has the intended effect, but always has un-intended consequences.
Rarely, if ever do they re-visit in 6 months, or ever to discover the mess they've made.

Ma Comrades, allowing remittances of royalties to foreign franchise corporations should be done away with.... if local merchant tried the same kind remittances out the country, their request be flatly denied by central bank.

Giving Bahamians "preferences" should be tempered with the social effects of engaging in those "preferences" ......... A person who eats fast food more than twice a week is vulnerable to all kinds of NCDs ......... That is the hard cold facts ........ So, the next time you have to fill out a insurance or health questionnaire, it should ask you that question (frequency of consuming fast food each week). ......... Will Wendy's, Popeyes, McDonalds and Dominos pick up the Healthcare Bill of the country?????? ........ While the Greeks, GB Royal Family etc. pocket their millions??