Sugar, power and policy: The political economy of a health and economic 'win-win' in Fiji's sugar-sweetened beverage tax.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In 2006, the Fiji Government introduced a 0.05FJ$ (0.03USD) per litre excise tax on domestically produced sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Since then, the tax has been abandoned, reintroduced, or adjusted at least ten times, while tariffs on imported SSBs have also undergone reform. These rapid iterations of Fiji's SSB tax raise questions about which interests and motivations underpin the tax, what instigated the multiple adjustments, and implications for its impact on health versus economic and political considerations.

Methods

Using case study methodology, this study maps the history of SSB tax adjustments in Fiji and examines the political economy forces that have shaped, and continually re-shaped, this policy landscape. We used policy analysis and theories of

SUBMITTER: Elliott LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12323095 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature