The Portuguese government has proposed a 3-per-cent increase on the tax applied to beer, spirits and wine liqueurs, in the draft state budget for 2016, delivered last week to Parliament.
This means that beers will be charged a tax that starts at €7.98 per hectolitre for lower alcohol volumes, going up to €28.06 per hectolitre in the case of higher alcohol volumes.
The Portuguese Association of Beer Producers (PRCA) has expressed its disappointed with the measure, pointing out that the increase is above the rate of inflation.
It claims that the increase of the Special Consumption Tax (IEC) will heavily penalise a key sector for the Portuguese economy that creates jobs and sees a strong level of exports.
The non-profit association claims to represent 99.8 per cent of companies in Portugal that produce beer, from microbreweries to small, medium and large producers.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
