Residents consider cutting down on colas, energy drinks

Dubai: With the new excise tax coming into effect from October 1, there will be a price hike of 50 per cent on fizzy drinks while residents will have to pay double for energy drinks.

Gulf News spoke to some residents to find out if the price hike would affect their consumption of their favourite fizzy drinks.

Maja Gatdula (right), a Filipina working as a customer service officer with a private company, said the news of the tax hike “is bad” for cola lovers like her.

“Lately I have stopped drinking colas daily because of weight issues. I know it is certainly not good for the body. But I am addicted to them.”

The mother of two said the price increase is likely to affect her. “I will cut down more and will also try to stop drinking colas unless it comes with the food.”

Abdullah Al Hamairi (left), a Yemeni lab assistant working with a petroleum institute, said he would start paying attention to the amount of money spent on diet cola, and tobacco products though he doesn’t consume them every day.

He said that the tax hike would push up the cost of living. “However the price increase is not that drastic to stop people. I guess they will start buying bigger bottles and share.”

That is what exactly Hirum Thumi (right), a marketing specialist from Kenya, is planning to do.

“I am a fan of soft drinks, have them about five times a week. Once in a while, when I am a bit down on energy, I also pick up an energy drink.

"I don’t think the tax hike matters for people who regularly drink them. Probably I will not be buying cans, but I will buy big bottles so that I can consume for a longer period at a lesser rate.”