Australian beer prices continue to soar, with nearly half of the cost per case revealed to be taxable.
According to the Daily Mail>, research by the University of Adelaide, the largest cost of beer in Australia is taxes, with ordinary cases accounting for 42%.
Australian beer taxes will soar again on Monday, with taxes on raw beer rising A $0.21 a litre, while beer in small, canned and long-necked bottles rose A $0.30 a litre.
Professor (Professor Kym Anderson) found that Australian residents pay more than three times the average price of beer in other developed countries, and packaged beer is taxed by A $2.19 per litre.
Australian beer taxes are eight times higher than in the United States and 18 times higher in Germany, nearly 40 percent higher than in the UK. Australia is second only to Norway, Japan and Finland on the list of the highest beer taxes in the world.
Last year, the beer tax injected more than 3.6 billion into Australia`s federal budget.
Morrison (Scott Morrison) even teased beer enthusiasts in the 2018 federal budget, promising to reduce the cost of brewed beer.
However, reducing costs may not have an impact on drinkers` wallets. Many brewers say they will not lower beer prices, but plan to invest the savings in the business.
Beer lobbyists are pushing Australia`s federal government to lower the price of a case or pint of beer to revive bars and nightlife.
Hefenan (Brett Heffernan), president of the Brewery Association (Brewers Association), advised Morrison government to raise the consumption tax exemption threshold for raw and packaged beer.
This means saving A $1.6 per case of beer and A $17 per large glass of beer. However, Australia`s federal budget is likely to be cut by A $250 million as a result.
"the beer tax system, which corrects our runaway and retrogression, is relatively easy, cheap, quick to implement, and should have been implemented long ago," Chairman Hefnan told the Sydney Morning Herald.
At present, the proportion of Australian residents drinking has fallen to its lowest level in 55 years. Recent Bureau of Statistics (ABS) statistics show that 84 per cent of Australians drink no more than two drinks a day.
"however, although Australian residents drink less and less alcohol in beer, they are paying an artificially high premium because of excessive taxes," President Hefnan said.
