Sugar industry representatives along with the cane farmers have petitioned the government to halt the increase in a levy on sugar-sweetened drinks for at least three years, reports Bloomberg.
The government imposed the health promotion levy in 2018 that has impacted the sugar industry leading to the loss of revenue worth 8 billion rands ($458 million) and 10,000 jobs apart from the closure of two sugar mills, said Trix Trikam, an executive at the South African Sugar Association in a statement.
The farmers as well as representatives from the industry met lawmakers this week in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province and put forward their demand to halt the tax for the next three years.
