BusinessLive reports that poultry producer Astral indicated in a press release on Thursday that chicken should be exempt from value added tax (VAT).
Under the existing laws, there are 19 basic food items that escape VAT and, with the exception of tinned pilchards and sardines, all of the VAT-exempt food items are vegetarian. The increase in VAT to 15% in April from the 14% it had been for the past 25 years would hurt consumers who relied on chicken for their main source of protein, Astral argued. The producer went on to state: “Chicken is the cheapest source of meat protein in SA and now forms a large part of the basic diet of the South African population, with consumption at close to 40kg per person per year.”
- Read this report by Robert Laing in full at BusinessLive
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