On the second Tuesday, Inatsisartut considered two proposals on packaging taxes.
One proposal was made by the Inatsisartut group in Siumut and stated that Naalakkersuisut must be required to present a bill that exempts beer and soft drinks, which are produced and bottled in Greenland, from packaging tax.
The reasoning was that the packaging tax weakens the competitiveness of local producers.
However, a unanimous Finance and Tax Committee came up with an amendment which read: Proposal for Inatsisartut decision that Naalakkersuisut be required to bring forward a bill exempting beer and soft drinks produced and bottled in Greenland from packaging tax, if such a tax exemption can be implemented in accordance with Greenland’s WTO legal obligations.
Naalakkersuisut had, during the 1st reading, recommended that the proposal be rejected, but chose to support the committee’s amendment proposal. Thus it was adopted.
The second proposal came from the chairman of Naleraq, Pele Broberg, who wanted Naalakkersuisut to make changes to the law so that the tax on packaging containing drinks is abolished.
– The tax means that another cost is added on top of ordinary groceries. It does not affect an abstract system. It affects the citizens when they buy drinks in the shops, said Pele Broberg during the 1st reading.
However, Naalakkersuisoq for Finance, Aqqaluaq B. Egede (IA), argued that it cannot be ruled out that a tax reduction will not fully affect consumer prices, but only benefit the retail trade.
Naalakkersuisut recommended the motion to be rejected. Seven voted in favor, while 17 voted against, and the proposal was thus rejected.
