Isle of Man 'sugar tax' plans deferred until 2019

A so-called "sugar tax" on the Isle of Man was expected to generate £1m in the first year, according to Treasury forecasts

Plans to introduce a new so-called "sugar tax" on the soft drinks industry in the Isle of Man have been deferred, the treasury minister has announced.

In his budget speech on Tuesday, Alf Cannan said the plans, mirroring those in the UK, will be reviewed next year.

He said that since the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) was first proposed the industry has "reformulated many products to reduce sugar content".

The tax was expected to generate about £1m a year for the Manx public purse.

In his maiden budget speech last year, Mr Cannan said government would invest this money in programmes to "reduce childhood obesity and encourage physical activity and balanced diets".

"Nevertheless [the Manx] government will keep its promise to invest £100k during 2018-19 plus all future SDIL receipts into public health programmes to reduce childhood obesity and encourage physical activity and balanced diets," he added.