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HEALTH

Spain cuts tax on face masks to make them more affordable during pandemic

The Spanish government will cut the value-added tax on health masks to 4 percent from the current 21 percent in a bid to reduce their retail price amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Published: 11 November 2020 13:49 CET
Spain cuts tax on face masks to make them more affordable during pandemic
Photo: AFP

Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero made the announcement on Wednesday during a parliament debate on next year’s budget.

 The minister said the decision to slash VAT or Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido(IVA) as it is known in Spanish from the standard rate of 21percent came with approval from the European Commission that such a sales tax reduction was acceptable.

“The government will ensure that VAT reduction translates into a lower price for the consumer and not into higher margins for business,” Montero told lawmakers.

The reduction represents a loss of an estimated €1,568 million of income for the State, according to the Government's calculations.

It only affects the price of those masks on sale to the general public as VAT is not applicable on equipment used at medical centres.

The use of masks has been mandatory across all of Spain for everyone over the age of six years old since July 30 in both indoor and outdoor public spaces.

The masks must cover the nose and mouth to prevent coronavirus contagion and the only exceptions for taking them off outside the home are when you're eating and drinking, or doing sport or exercise.

READ ALSO: What Spanish authorities advise about wearing face masks

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HEALTH

Are Danes cutting back on cigarettes and alcohol?

Danish stores sold a significantly lower quantity of alcohol and cigarettes over the counter last year, new data from Statistics Denmark show.

Published: 14 June 2024 07:42 CEST
Are Danes cutting back on cigarettes and alcohol?

Some 3,852 cigarettes were sold year, which amounts to 804 per person over the age of 18. But that compares to a figures of 854 per person on 2022.

Cigarette sales in Denmark have been declining since 2018.

Sales of sprits, beer and wine fell by 7.8 percent, 5.3 percent and 0.9 percent respectively.

Danish business sold the equivalent of 44.4 million litres of pure alcohol, which works out at 11.9 units per week on average for each person over the age of 18.

Although that is a lower value than in 2022, it still exceeds the amount recommended by the Danish Health Authority (Sundhedsstyrelsen).

The Health Authority recommends that adults over 18 drink no more than 10 units per week and no more than four in a single day.

READ ALSO: Should Denmark raise the minimum age for buying alcohol?

“The numbers are still too high and it’s an average that could have a skewed distribution,” University of Southern Denmark professor, Janne Tholstrup, said in relation to the alcohol sales figures. Tholstrup has published research on Denmark’s alcohol culture.

That is in spite of a 30-year-trend of falling alcohol consumption, according to the professor.

“The majority of Danes stay under the recommended 10 unite per week. That means there is a large group with a persistently excessive consumption of alcohol,” she said.

The Statistics Denmark figures also show that sales of loose tobacco – such as the type used in roll-up cigarettes and pipes – also fell last year. Some 58 tonnes less were sold compared to 2022.

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