People enjoying a night out in Hanoi. Vietnam's Finance Ministry has proposed to hike a special consumption tax on alcoholic drinks to 100% by 2030. - Photo from Vietnam News/ANN
HANOI (Reuters): Vietnam's Finance Ministry has proposed to hike a special consumption tax on alcoholic drinks to 100% by 2030, the ministry said, a move that may further hurt the country's beverage industry.
Under the draft proposal which is pending lawmakers' approval, the special consumption tax on beer and strong liquor will be raised to 70%-80% by 2026 and gradually increase it to 90%-100% in 2030, compared with the current 65%.
"Alcoholic drinks and beer prices will increase by 20% in 2026, compared with 2025," the finance ministry said in the proposal, adding that prices would continue to increase by 2%-3%, depending on inflation.
"Levying high tax rates is necessary to help reduce consumption of alcoholic drinks," it added.
Vietnam's beer industry, dominated by four major brands -Dutch Heineken, Danish Carlsberg and local Sabeco and Habeco - has already been hit by the country's strict drink and driving law, under which the alcohol content limit for drivers is zero since 2019.
Heineken Vietnam Brewery, the country's beer market leader with a 37.6% share, recorded a 24% decline in total consumption last year, according to a May report from FPT Securities.
Sabeco, accounting for 34.4% of the market, also posted a 12.6% fall in consumption. On the contrary, Carlsberg's domestic consumption rose by 8%, it added.
Last year, the beer industry's revenue decreased 11% and profits decreased by 23%, according to estimations of the Beer - Alcohol - Beverage Association.
Shares in Sabeco fell by 3.66% on Friday morning after the ministry's proposal.
A Sabeco spokesperson declined to comment but said it would contribute the company's opinion to the Beer - Alcohol - Beverage Association as a member of the Association.
Carlsberg and Heneiken did not immediately respond to Rueters' requests for comment.
The finance ministry also proposed a hike in special consumption tax on soft drinks and cigarettes.
(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Rashmi Aich) - Reuters
