President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday called for a candid and open public debate on his proposal to introduce a levy on sugar-laden foods and drinks, reiterating that the idea is intended to reduce sugar consumption and bolster public health care. Lee made the remarks in a social media post, days after he proposed the idea of imposing a sugar levy to help curb sugar intake and boost public health care funding, citing a similar levy on tobacco. “The more complex the issues we have — such as the (proposed) sugar levy, a real estate tax overhaul and institutional reforms to ease polarization, all of which concern the interests of many stakeholders — the more vital it is to have candid debate and public deliberation grounded in logic, facts and real cases,” he said. He cited in his X post a news article on the World Health Organization’s recommendations that countries should raise the price of sugar-loaded soft drinks and beverages by at least 50 percent. Lee emphasized that the sugar levy is for specific purposes to reduce excessive sugar consumption that can be harmful to public health and
Lee calls for wider public debate on sugar levy
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