Health experts oppose tax relief for fruit juices

ISLAMABAD: Health specialists and the Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) have opposed any move to ease taxes on fruit juices, urging the government to place public health concerns above industry interests and instead increase the Federal Excise Duty on such products.

Speaking to the media, PANAH Secretary General Sanaullah Ghumman expressed concern over rising consumption of processed juices and said these beverages were contributing to an increasing burden of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and fatty liver disease. He said some players in the juice industry were trying to influence policymakers, particularly the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, by presenting juices as healthy products in order to obtain tax concessions.

The government should reinforce taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages and raise the Federal Excise Duty on all such products, including fruit juices, to 40 per cent, in line with the proposal in the Finance Bill 2026-27.

WHO guidance cited by specialists

Diabetes expert Professor Dr Shakeel Ahmed Mirza referred to the World Health Organization's 2015 guideline on free sugar intake, saying it defines free sugars as not only those added during manufacturing but also sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates. He said the WHO advises that free sugars should make up less than 10 per cent of daily energy intake and preferably remain below 5 per cent, especially when consumed in liquid form through beverages or juices.

He added that fruit juices remain a major source of free sugars whether or not manufacturers add sugar, and therefore fall within the category of products whose intake the WHO recommends limiting.

Warning against policy exemptions

Professor Dr Nusrat Ara Majeed, Commissioner for the Asia-Pacific Region on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, warned that granting tax relief to packaged juices could send the wrong signal to the public. She said exempting such products from taxation could be seen by consumers as an official endorsement that they are healthy or suitable for frequent consumption.

The health experts' intervention comes as debate continues over taxation policy for beverages in the upcoming budget, with PANAH pressing the government to maintain a stricter public health approach toward sugary drinks, including processed fruit juices.