Coke boss renews call for sugar tax to be dropped after Brexit vote
Coca-Cola’s UK boss Jon Woods has renewed calls for the sugar tax to be dropped, saying after the Brexit vote government should be doing removing “red tape and bureaucracy.”
Coke
The levy on the sugary drinks was confirmed earlier this year, although it won’t be imposed until 2018.
However, Coke – along with other soft-drink makers – have contested the decision in the past that it’s "discriminatory" because it will not hit other liquids with a similar sugar content such as fruit juices and milkshakes.
In wake of the vote to leave the European Union, Woods added to the argument, saying: “It’s bad for business at a time when we should be freeing our businesses from red tape and bureaucracy. A sugar tax won’t reduce obesity because it’s bad policy.”
“It’s just another barrier to doing business and it’s bad for consumers. Shopping bills are going to go up as a result of it,” he warned.
Woods also said it will act as a “distraction” from efforts to switch to lower calorie products.
Last week Coke ploughed £10m into a marketing blitz into its Zero Sugar variant.
Woods said the investment into activity like this is evidence of Britain leading the way in encouraging consumers to switch from high to low or no calorie drinks