Islamabad, May 22, 2026: The Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) has called on the government to increase the Federal Excise Duty (FED) on all sweetened beverages, including processed fruit juices, to 40 percent in the Finance Bill 2026–27, warning that any tax relief for the beverage industry could worsen Pakistan’s growing public health crisis.
Addressing a press conference, PANAH General Secretary Sana Ullah Ghumman expressed concern over what he described as attempts by segments of the juice industry to influence policymakers by presenting processed juices as healthy products.
“It has come to our attention that certain elements within the juice industry are attempting to mislead policymakers, particularly the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, in an effort to secure tax relief,” he said.
Ghumman warned that Pakistan was already facing rising rates of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and fatty liver disease, placing heavy pressure on both families and the national healthcare system.
“At a time when healthcare costs are escalating, weakening health taxes on juices or other sweetened beverages would be a step in the wrong direction,” he added.
Renowned diabetologist Dr. Shakeel Ahmed Mirza cited the World Health Organization guidelines on free sugar intake, noting that the WHO classifies sugars naturally present in fruit juices and concentrates as “free sugars.”
He said the WHO recommends limiting free sugar intake to less than 10 percent of total daily energy intake, and preferably below 5 percent, especially from beverages and juices.
“Fruit juices — regardless of whether manufacturers add sugar — are a significant source of free sugars and fall within the category of products whose consumption the WHO recommends limiting,” he said.
Commissioner for the Asia Pacific Region on Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases, Prof. Dr. Nusrat Ara Majeed, warned that tax relief on packaged juices could mislead consumers into believing such products are healthy for regular consumption.
She stressed that scientific evidence and public health recommendations support the consumption of whole fruits and vegetables instead of processed juices.
PANAH stated that health taxes on sweetened beverages are globally recognized as an effective public health measure that discourages unhealthy consumption while generating government revenue.
The association, along with health experts and civil society organizations, urged the government to resist pressure from sections of the beverage industry and increase the FED on all sweetened beverages, including juices, to 40 percent in the upcoming federal budget.
