SRC denounces supermarket tax in Scotland
The Scottish Retail Consortium has denounced plans to increase business rates for large retailers of alcohol and tobacco in Scotland.
The government in Scotland has indicated that the tax will raise around £110 million over the next three years and will be used as an extra source of health funding.
However, the SRC said the levy penalises responsible retailers of alcohol and tobacco and disregards all other parts of the supply chain.
SRC director, Ian Shearer, commented: “This new tax is a blatant fund-raising exercise which is illogical and discriminatory. It targets a part of the retail sector which funds DrinkAware, rigorously prevents under-age sales with Challenge 25 and has led the way on clear alcohol labelling, giving it an exemplary record on the sale of alcohol and tobacco.
“Supermarket margins are already cut to the bone as stores compete to offer the best deals to cash-strapped consumers. The UK already has some of the highest alcohol taxes in Europe. This tax would make it harder for food retailers to keep prices down for customers, and makes Scotland a less attractive place to do business, invest and create jobs.”
