Rep. Ray T. Reyes of AnaKalusugan party-list group said the revenue from additional taxes on junk food and sweetened beverages next year should be used to increase funding for the Universal Health Care (UHC) program.
“It is regrettable that while our budget and spending for health in the past years have risen, the expenditure program for the UHC in the national budget has mostly remained the same,” Rep. Ray T. Reyes, vice chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Health, said.
“We hope that the revenue generated from additional taxes on junk food and sweetened beverages will lead to more budget for the implementation of UHC,” he added.
The lawmaker said the projections in the 2024 Budget of Expenditure and Sources of Financing show the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is poised to get an additional revenue of P68.5 billion from the anticipated excise taxes on sweetened beverages and junk food.
“Having this additional fund, we expect that funds will be poured into our public health facilities, especially the barangay health care centers and rural health units which are the first resort of our countrymen in the countryside,” Reyes added.
Reyes had earlier filed House Bill 7485, which seeks to increase the excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages to discourage the consumption of sugary beverages and increase revenues specifically intended to finance the implementation of the UHC Act.
“Once implemented, we will be able to provide more revenue for the government and also contribute in the fight against diabetes, obesity, and non-communicable diseases related to poor diet,” he said.