South Africa to tax sugary beverages

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A growing list of countries around the world are starting to tax sugar-sweetened beverages in hopes to combat the health risks associated with them, including South Africa.

The tax is aimed at helping decrease future associated health risk costs related to diseases like obesity.

According to a recent article Professor Tess van der Merwe says half of South African adult women and a third of adult men are “overweight” and obesity rates are rising sharply in african children. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported obesity rates of children under five have nearly doubled.

The levy, announced in February this year by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in his budget is set to take effect in April 2017.

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