A lot of people are saying that it will be the joke of the year to increase just 4 Rufiyaa per liter from energy drinks in the name of preventing people from consume excessive amounts of energy drinks.
A liter is usually 4 cans. One can costs around 20 Rufiyaa on average. Restaurants purchase these cans for 40 Rufiyaa. They buy it with an 8 percent GST as well. That means the price of an energy drink from a restaurant is usually between 20 to 47 Rufiyaa. With just 4 Rufiyaa increment from a liter will increase only 1 Rufiyaa from a can. A product which is so expensive is still purchased by so many people. With this increment there will be no real change.
Even fizzy drinks are harmful to health. However it is not as harmful as energy drinks. There is a huge difference between the two. In most countries duties levied on these two products are different. Duties on energy drinks are twice than that of fizzy drinks.
Energy drink importers run expensive marketing campaigns such as trips to Dubai just by drinking one can of excel. In addition various TV programs are sponsored by such companies. Hence increasing one Rufiyaa as tax will not show any change.
A lot of people are hoping that when the parliament approves the decision they will consider these factors.