The growing trend of modern food and beverages, often high in sugar, either packaged or processed, has led to an increased risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Unfortunately, the industry frequently employs marketing strategies that highlight the presence of vitamins or calcium while concealing high sugar levels. For this reason, the government is urged to implement a consumption tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to reduce the national health burden and strengthen social protection.
This concern was raised in the seminar “Sweet Crisis: Exploring the Impact of SSB Consumption Tax from Economic, Health, and Legal Perspectives” held at the Learning Center of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), Tuesday (Sep. 23).
The seminar was organized by the Center for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives (CISDI) in collaboration with FEB UGM.
The event featured several speakers, including Chair of the Health Promoting University (HPU UGM) and Head of the Department of Health Behavior, Environment, and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK UGM), Professor Yayi Suryo Prabandari; CISDI Community Engagement Lead, Nadia Putri Febriansyah; Maria Fatima A. Villena from Action for Economic Reform (AER) Philippines; HPU UGM Secretary, Dr. Supriyati; FEB UGM lecturer, Dr. Novat Pugo Sambodo; and Faculty of Law (FH UGM) lecturer, Dr. Arvie Johan.
Professor Yayi Suryo Prabandari emphasized the importance of raising public awareness of the economic, health, and legal impacts of the SSB consumption tax.
She expressed hope that such discussions would foster critical thinking, care, and courage to act for a healthier future.
“We need to encourage healthy living awareness among students and the public, particularly regarding high sugar consumption, which poses increasing risks of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension,” she said.
Nadia Putri Febriansyah noted that the issue of SSB excise has become a significant agenda as it directly concerns public welfare and requires cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Echoing this view, Nida Adzillah Auliani highlighted how the industry often promotes products by emphasizing vitamins or calcium while downplaying their sugar content.
“Our environment has created an obesogenic condition that makes it easier for people to consume high-sugar products,” she explained.
Auliani further added that implementing SSB excise is not merely a fiscal policy but also a public health instrument to reduce the prevalence of obesity and diabetes.
From an international perspective, Maria Fatima A. Villena shared the Philippines’ experience in introducing a sugar tax.
Despite challenges, the policy successfully reduced the consumption of sweetened beverages, increased state revenue, and strengthened healthcare financing.
She affirmed, “SSB consumption tax has proven to bring a dual impact: reducing the health burden while reinforcing social protection.”
Dr. Supriyati underscored that non-communicable diseases are now the leading cause of death in Indonesia, with excessive sugar intake as one of the main risk factors.
From an economic standpoint, Dr. Sambodo explained that the purpose of consumption tax policy is to control consumption, not merely to increase state revenue.
Meanwhile, Dr. Johan emphasized the importance of legal certainty in policy design to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of the SSB consumption tax.
Author: Kezia Dwina Nathania
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: Firsto Adi & Freepik