No consumer tax on chewing gum: Roche
Wednesday, 16 March 2005 12:38
The Environment Minister, Dick Roche, has confirmed that he will not be introducing a tax on chewing gum or ATM receipts.
Instead Mr Roche has decided to give the industry an opportunity to propose a means of dealing with the problem.
Mr Roche is to start negotiating with sectors producing what is termed 'nuisance litter' in order to minimise the waste problem they create.
Anti-litter groups and the Opposition have criticised the decision.
Labour's Eamon Gilmore has accused Mr Roche of caving in to commercial interests.
Mr Gilmore claims the decision not to introduce the chewing gum tax was as a result of direct and indirect lobbying conducted by the large chewing gum manufacturers.
Mr Gilmore said that by merely making the firms pay levies to local authorities, Mr Roche was ignoring the recommendations of independent consultants and allowing manufacturers to avoid facing up to the reality of the litter problem their products create.
