Beer tax to fight cancer!

“Ukraine plans to almost triple the excise tax on beer in a bid to boost annual budget revenue by as much as 1.7 billion hryvnia ($209 million).

The tax will rise to 2.43 hryvnia per liter from 0.87 hryvnia, according to a draft law published on the Revenue and Fees Ministry’s website today.

The government is in talks with producers about increasing the tax and plans to submit the proposal to parliament this autumn, Revenue and Fees Minister Oleksandr Klymenko said June 7.

“As of today, in Ukraine, beer is not an alcoholic drink and that’s why its production and distribution are not subject to licensing,” the ministry said.

“Lack of control of beer production and sales, which is accompanied by low taxes, led to low beer prices, while the price of water, milk or juice is much higher.”

Ukraine, which is in talks with the International Monetary Fund over a third bailout in four years, had a budget deficit of 5.1 percent of gross domestic product in the year through April, Dragon Capital (VIETENI) said June 3.”

http://news.kievukraine.info/2013/06/ukraine-plans-to-triple-tax-on-beer-to.html

This tax is being advertised as necessary to help children dying of cancer — a transparent gimmick instantly ridiculed on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/561519530555123/?fref=ts