Italy plans to introduce a tax on fizzy drinks to help fund university research.
Carla Ruocco, a lawmaker from the 5-Star Movement, announced late on Thursday that the so-called ‘sugar tax’ would be presented as an amendment to the budget.
The tax will curb the scope of a contested tax amnesty, the ruling parties agreed, as the government puts together its big-spending 2019 budget.
The budget must be approved by parliament by the end of the year.
A draft budget has been rejected by the European Commission because it aims to raise the deficit instead of reducing it. Read more