Governor for Oro Garry Juffa is determined to table a private members bill on a sugar tax.
Juffa said sugar was just as bad if not more dangerous then tobacco and cigarette and harms and kills more Papua New Guineans then tobacco and alcohol combined.
He added that the national health cost and toll on the human resources of the nation was significant and could not be ignored.
Juffa said Mexico had imposed such a tax and was now reaping dual benefits of an improving overall national health for its people and increased revenues.
He reiterated that the tax would significantly discourage consumption of soft drinks and sweets and other unhealthy food and beverages and reduce costs of health for Papua New Guineans.
“It would also promote local consumption of local fruit and vegetables.”
Governor Juffa said that he had obtained detailed laws of similar taxes and would have a bill prepared for parliament to consider at the soonest.
Meanwhile, he urged the Government to establish an intelligence driven tax effort to pinpoint tax avoiders in the forestry and fisheries property and consultancy areas of business rather than penalizing already compliant tax payers who were diligently paying tax already.