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Business News/ Companies / Coca-Cola India says may have to shut factories if new ‘sin tax’ passed
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Coca-Cola India says may have to shut factories if new ‘sin tax’ passed

A govt-appointed panel examining GST has suggested a standard rate of 17% to 18%, and a higher tax of 40% on some goods including the carbonated drinks Coca-Cola sells

Photo: BloombergPremium
Photo: Bloomberg

New Delhi: The Indian subsidiary of Coca-Cola Co said on Friday it may have to close some bottling plants if the government pushes through a proposal that would subject fizzy drinks to a 40% “sin" tax, as part of a broader fiscal overhaul.

The beverage maker, which operates 57 factories and bottling plants across India, said a proposal to group sugary sodas with higher-taxed luxury cars and tobacco would hurt demand for its drinks.

“It will lead to a sharp decline in consumer purchase," Coca-Cola India said in a statement. “In these circumstances, we will have no option but to consider shutting down certain factories."

India’s ruling party is trying to push a national goods and services tax (GST) through Parliament that would replace a myriad of state sales taxes and shake-up government revenue.

A government-appointed panel examining GST has suggested a standard rate of 17% to 18%, and a higher tax of 40% on some goods including the carbonated drinks Coca-Cola sells.

Several countries are debating so-called “sugar taxes" to tackle obesity and encourage healthier lifestyles. While more than a fifth of India’s population lives below the official poverty line, the country is home to the third-highest population of obese people after the United States and China, according to medical journal The Lancet.

The chairman of Coca-Cola rival PepsiCo Inc in India said in a statement that while he supported GST, the 40% rate was “high".

“Having said that, we are confident that the government will take a balanced view of taxation with respect to our industry," Shiv Shivakumar said.

Coca-Cola India, which employs 25,000 staff, said it is on course to invest $5 billion by 2020 as it looks to raise production to target a growing middle class.

The company re-entered India after economic liberalisation in the early 1990s. Reuters

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Published: 11 Dec 2015, 06:30 PM IST
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