Independent legislator Jonathan Prendas presented a bill to tax alcoholic beverages per milliliter, in order to generate resources to hire 600 transit officers.
According to estimates by the legislator, 7,993 million colones would be generated annually and that would serve both for salaries and luggage.
A 350-mililiter beer with 4% alcohol would pay 14 colones, but with a 5% tax it would be 17 colones and if it had 8% alcohol, it would increase to 28 colones.
If alcohol is the cause of thousands of injuries, hundreds of deaths a year and substantial damage to the property of third parties, the most sensible thing is that its sale will strengthen the Traffic Police to carry out preventive and sanctioning tasks,”
explained Prendas.
Prendas indicated that based on data from the General Directorate of Traffic Police, there are 790 officers distributed in 13 administrative and regional offices.
During the discussion of the tax reform, he also proposed to tax alcoholic beverages in order to avoid the tax in the basic basket, however, he did not have support in the Special Commission that analyzed the -then- draft Law of Strengthening Public Finance.
The tax would be for both domestic and imported production. The initiative will be processed through the number 21.328.