South Okanagan-West Kootenay MP Richard Cannings thinks itB次元官网网址檚 time to correct a federal B次元官网网址渢ax inconsistencyB次元官网网址� associated with the sale of low-alcohol beer.

Cannings proposed to eliminate the excise tax on the product when he tabled Bill C on Thursday, March 31, in the House of Commons.

Representatives from the New Democrats called the bill a way B次元官网网址渢o help people with the rising costs of groceriesB次元官网网址� in an email sent to media on Thursday morning.

B次元官网网址淎n error was made and the result is that Canada doesnB次元官网网址檛 treat all low-alcohol beverages equally,B次元官网网址� Cannings said while referencing that low-alcoholic wine and spirits are currently not subject to a tax.

B次元官网网址淛ust like the other low-alcohol choices we find in grocery stores, low-alcohol beer is a health-conscious and increasingly popular choice that we should not deter.B次元官网网址�

Only beer with an alcoholic percentage of 0.5 or below is subject to the new proposal.

B次元官网网址淐anada is the only country weB次元官网网址檙e aware of that currently applies an excise tax on non-alcohol beer,B次元官网网址� said Luke Chapman, the vice-president of Beer Canada.

B次元官网网址淔ixing this issue will send a positive signal to the industry.B次元官网网址�

In 2020, the federal government collected over $1 million in tax on low-alcoholic beer, according to CanningsB次元官网网址� NDP colleagues.

The South Okanagan-West Kootenay MP is hopeful that the elimination of the excise tax would help expand domestic production of low-alcohol beer.

CanningsB次元官网网址� proposal comes one week before the unveiling of the 2022 budget by the Liberal government. It will be the first tabled budget since the 2021 federal election.

B次元官网网址淐anningsB次元官网网址� bill aims to quickly correct the excise tax inconsistency with hopes of the government including it in its budget implementation act in the coming weeks,B次元官网网址� representatives from the NDP wrote in an email.

logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com
Like us on and follow us on Twitter.