Kuala Lumpur: The Finance Ministry says the government collected RM73.81 million in tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) between January and November 2025, following the increase of the tax to 90 sen per litre, reported The Star.
The ministry noted that the SSB duty was first introduced on July 1, 2019, at 40 sen per litre based on specific sugar-content limits. It was later raised to 50 sen per litre on Jan 1, 2024, and again to 90 sen per litre on Jan 1, 2025.
The higher rate, the ministry said, is part of the government’s efforts to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks and to support the Health Ministry’s War on Sugar campaign.
Between July 1, 2019, and Dec 31, 2024, the SSB duty generated RM447.54 million in revenue. With the RM73.81 million collected this year up to November, total collections now stand at RM521.35 million.
All revenue from the tax has been placed into the Federal Consolidated Fund as required under Article 97 of the Federal Constitution.
However, under Budget 2025, part of the additional income from the higher SSB duty has been directed to public health programmes, especially the provision of SGLT-2 inhibitor medication for diabetes patients and the expansion of peritoneal dialysis services for those with end-stage kidney disease.
For 2025, the government allocated RM25 million from SSB tax collections to the Health Ministry to support War on Sugar awareness activities, purchase SGLT-2 medicines for diabetes patients, and provide peritoneal dialysis facilities for kidney-disease patients, the ministry said in a written reply on Tuesday (Nov 25).
The response was issued to Suhaizan Kayat (PH–Pulai), who asked how much SSB tax had been collected and how the funds were being used for diabetes treatment and the Peritoneal Dialysis Programme.
