Romania battles the bulge
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While Germans and Poles are still reeling from Fat Thursday’s feast, the Romanian government is doing quite the opposite. Romania is planning to take a large bite out of obesity by introducing a fat tax. But fast food fans are not the only ones troubled by the not so tasty tariff.
Romanians, who love their Mămăligă topped with bacon and sour cream, have more than welcomed the advent of high calorie fast food chains since the fall of communism.
But the health ministry has sounded the alarm bells by claiming that one in two Romanians are overweight, while one in four are obese.
“We have to re-educate Romanians on how to feed themselves properly,” said health ministry official Adrian Streinu-Cercel during a heated public debate.
The government claim they are killing two birds with one stone, cutting down on the consumption of fatty foods while pumping taxes into the healthcare system.
But some don’t agree. Employers, trade unions, and NGOs say food prices will skyrocket and the tax could prompt the loss of 36,000 jobs in the food industry.
Dan Trifu of the environmental group ECO-CIVICA claims, “little money will go to the state budget. The tax will only encourage tax dodging and bring no benefits as people in the low income bracket will go on the black market to buy cheaper, poor quality products.”
“Romanians eat badly because they cannot afford better,” adds Dragos Frumosu, head of the industrial food producers union.
The government is still compiling the list of foods to be taxed. The final draft is expected by 1 March.
