Tax on soft drinks: Coca-Cola annoyed
Coca-Cola is angry against France. To protest against the tax on soft drinks that the government of François Fillon wants to establish in 2012, as part of the austerity plan, the U.S. giant announced Thursday the suspension of an investment of € 17 million provided for the next year at its plant in the Bouches-du-Rhone, the Pennes-Mirabeau.
This is the first concrete decision of the U.S. company from ads on 24 August. By this gesture, the group's management intends to "symbolic protest" against the tax. The investment "is not canceled but it must be reassessed in the context of uncertainty created by the tax," says the group. These 17 million would be used to launch a new production line for cans at the plant, the second in France in terms of production, which employs 203 people and five years has already received 45 million euros of investment .
It was to be formalized on September 19, on the occasion of the celebration of 40 years of factory Pennes-Mirabeau. The arrival of John Brock, president of Coca-Cola Enterprises for 40 years the site is also canceled.
"I understand the position of Coca-Cola"
Coca-Cola, which employs 3000 employees across five production sites in France, says wait and see what will unfold the vote in Parliament before taking a final decision. The tax should indeed be debated in the coming weeks as part of the bill for funding Social Security."We hear and symbolic protest against a tax that punishes and stigmatizes our company our products," said Coca-Cola, which "reaffirms its strong opposition to any form of stigmatization of soft drinks and their assimilation into other product categories such as tobacco. "
This tax, which should bring 120 million euros to the state, according to the manufacturers should increase the cost price of the can of a euro cent on average. For the National Association of Food Industries (ANIA), the decision of the U.S. company is understandable. "I understand the position of Coca-Cola, said Jean-René Buisson, president of the association. Coca is one of the companies that have signed charters with the government on reducing sugar and nutrition education policy.Why do food manufacturers would they continue to trust the government? ", He gets mad. "The tax Fillon is the stigma of food which is harmful is not scientifically proven," he adds.
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