ABSOLUTELY,,!!!

This should have always been done but for some reason it appears that the politicians/ legislators have always favoured the businesses selling these harmfull health products.
Why, even the NIB is a major shareholder in Commonwealth Brewery a liquor company!!
Kudos to Dr Sands for looking out for the health and well being of the nation.

To fund free health care in the Bahamas, of a standard to match that available in the UK, each and every Bahamian will have to find an additional $75 per month in taxes. Since we are a nation with such a high proportion of chronic obesity this figure, estimated on the back of an envelope, is probably much too low. Sugar should be simply banned completely, there is no reason to consume except transitory sensory pleasure and the health cost is devastating.

Hmmm. Has anyone taken a look at all the food products that contain high fructose corn syrup?
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/20… Wouldn't it be a Catch 22 to impose a "sin tax" on a "VAT Free - breadbasket item" like Ketchup? I know they had proposed to re-arrange the breadbasket list but not sure Ketchup would be removed. Seems like they're just brainstorming but...

so we now have to pay for the Sins of the PLP? They cost us millions even when they aren't in power......

Tobacco is already 220%, plus VAT. Putting a higher tax on liquor and tobacco will surely encourage smuggling and robbery and we have enough of that as it is. Countries with an extraordinarily high "sin" tax on tobacco and alcohol always see marked increases in related smuggling and theft, the perpetrators almost always armed.

High-fructose corn syrup should be BANNED WORLDWIDE!!!!

Oh lordie me, you'd thought Ma Comrade Minister Duane be bypassing the poor and near poor be's calling "Sin Tax" against sludge oil in Grand Bahama.

Dont forget the likes of the fast food outlets like wendys burger king etc.

Ma Comrade, Lordie Me, reports coming out our Motherland across the pond of Englishman's and Englishwoman's children's are crying out frustration at missing out on their chicken treats at hundreds local area KFC's having to close due shortage chicken deliveries. {Can't make this up whilst picturing our own little children's reaction shortage took place at their local KFC chickens shacks?}

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2018…

Man this is real chicken shit!!

Alcohol and tobacco are already very heavily taxed. Duty on tobacco products is 200% plus stamp tax and vat. Beer is taxed at 10$ per imperial gal. that works out to 18$ per case plus tax and vat. Increasing these will negatively impact tourism as they a large consumers of both these products. Maybe the good Doctor and the Minister of Tourism should duke it out on this one. A wage deduction similar to NIB will be easier to administer and have a more defined paper trail. In addition, if National Health is as good as they say it will be, employers and employees should be happy to contribute as they can then do away with the very costly group health plans that they are burdened with. But wait, that might cause and insurance war. Mudda sic. What a quandry.

Here's novel idea Ma Comrade Minister, tax da rich, red shirts first and leave alone picking pockets poor and near poor who does likes their indulgences from times to time.

Tal, four indulgences our poor and near poor does likes more than anyting else in da world is chicken, crabbie, liquors and numbers, all a which puttin money in da wrong set a people pocket. Why y'all don tax folks likesTiger an Sebas dem some more.

Wouldn't a diet with more crabbie be beneficial for society?
Wouldn't the cost of health care per person go down?

Ha Ha. Messenger you are spot on. Only problem is, no one knows where these numbers taxes are going and will be going if they increase. The numbers boys have better accounting systems than Govt. and if they( the government) are such idiots as to believe they are collecting what they should; God help us. More numbers taxes equals more money for graft.. Govt. lottery is the answer there. But I agree with the love of chicken, liquor, crabbie, and numbers.

BOL ......... chicken, crabbie, liquor and numbers ......... plus all can food, ramen noodles, soda and white sugar, flour and rice ............. There must be a new Bahamian diet ........ yellow corn grits, boiled fish, cassava, okra, and switcher ........ All grown in The Bahamas

That the Successive Government administrations of the Bahamas have dumbed down the general population enough that they need a "minder" is not in dispute, but for that minder to be the Government is ludicrous as they have caused all the problems we have in the first place!
anyone thinking the government can run health care needs a guided tour of BEC/BPL, Water and Sewage, the garbage dump, the PMH, Road traffic, hell every single department!
Name one thing they do get right? Anyone?
Anything?

Who owns the fast food chains and soda companies in The Bahamas???????? ............ How much money do they give back to Healthcare???? ........ VS .............. How much money do they give their favorite politicians????????? .............. smdh

Ain't no lie we Comrade Nativelanders are in love we yellow grits. People with high sugar in blood or looking control size belly would be making healthy food choice include yellow grits diet - now, don't be adding no damn salt ya grits - salt will make earlier appointment with Undertaker Loretta.
Amen!

There is nothing wrong with putting some native sea salt in ya grits ....... the problem is that false Morton Salt that you buy from the USA ........ watsayu?????

Ma Comrade, whatsayu is Sea Salt does also contain sodium with only difference is that Sea Salt will more clump up inside you. I puts touch better mine while aware it known brungs on heart troubles.

The only sin tax you all need to be implementing is that against the numbers houses. As already stated, alcohol and tobacco are already taxed to the hilt, and further taxation can weigh on an already suffering tourism product. You need to re-visit and re-structure what the last administration did regarding gambling; massively cut down the operations of the numbers men. Establish a national lottery. Then use the funds generated by that to pay for NHI since you all are hell bent on it. It is disgraceful that a handful of men should become billionaires off the disease of gambling at the expense of the country. When those people are broke since they used their last to spin, the rest of us are left to carry the bag for them. Changes to the very lopsided gambling industry would result in wins all around. The people who want to can still gamble, perhaps we can get the money laundering accusations associated with the gambling thing behind us as a nation, and the money generated through the government run lottery won't make citizens and legal residents hurt at all or feel they are being hit by the government with taxes again.

Perfect! Please e-mail a large copy directly to The PM, Minister of Health, Minister of Tourism and Minister of Gaming. We can only hope they take the time to read the comments of The People, whose time it surely is!

Beer is already pricey,especially our beer that is brewed right here. So is wine. Tobacco should be upped in taxes...it really serves no purpose and only inreases rates of heart disease,cancer and breathing problems as well as high blood pressure. So tax it more. Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are in virtually everything so taxing those items is just another hidden VAT ttax hike. Instead they should increase the tax on cookies,candies and on actual syrups of said products such as pancake syrup,corn syrup and actual boxes of sugar. At the same time get rid of all duties and taxes,fees on fresh fruit and vegetables.

Corn syrup is 100 percent glucose.

High fructose corn syrup is a different product 42% minimum fructose. Most sodas use 55% fructose but cocacpla uses 65% fructose.

table sugar is 50% fructose and 50% glucose.

Fructose increases visceral fat. from the above, corn sysrup is the healthiest.

Agave, the 'natural sugar' is the worst offender at 100% fructose.

I had to educate a doctor on agave once.

the person who makes tea or coffee or limeade at home has a healthier option by using the table sugar that drinking it from sodas. Therefore, leave the table sugar alone.

Furthermore, the govt is not serious, they were about to eliminate duty on sugary drinks , and when the producers of punch protested, they set it at 30%.