2023.09.20
Scrap the electronics tax and start working European instead!
This is an argumentative text from Applia's chairman Kent Oderud with the aim of influencing.
The government intends to present a climate policy action plan by the end of the year. An ongoing investigation under John Hassler will form the basis for the plan and that investigation will be presented in mid-October this year. The action plan will then be presented every year, so my guess is that it will be presented by the Minister of Climate and Environment Romina Pourmokhtari sometime at the end of this year.
An often overlooked area of climate policy is the laws that concern hazardous chemicals that risk causing harm to the environment, climate and people. This naturally belongs in an environmental policy action plan.
An APPLiA PM about the electronics tax
APPLiA has now compiled a memo in which we point out the well-documented shortcomings of the electronics tax, also called the chemicals tax, as a policy instrument for the environment and climate. It is an important input to the government's work on the climate policy action plan. This memo also contains headings such as "Alternatives to the national chemicals tax" and "How can the government improve climate work regarding chemicals" - with concrete tips on how the government can abolish the electronics tax/chemicals tax in favor of regulations that actually reduce the presence of environmentally and health-hazardous chemicals in households.
The plastic bag tax but not the electronics tax
The government has now announced in the autumn budget that the plastic bag tax will be abolished from November next year. The plastic bag tax is a tax that has worked according to its objective: we Swedes have greatly reduced the use of new plastic bags and are now, with a consumption of about 17 bags per person per year, far below the EU's target value of 40 plastic bags per year. This effective tax is being abolished. But the electronics tax, which investigation after investigation has ruled ineffective, will remain. In addition, tax collection has increased by another billion from July 1 this year, when the deduction options for reactively added flame retardants, which are considered better from an environmental perspective, were removed to simplify things for the Swedish Tax and Customs Board!
A good action plan raises awareness
The government's upcoming climate policy action plan now opens up an opportunity to strengthen the international work Sweden should do to reduce the presence of hazardous chemicals and at the same time reduce the negative consequences caused by the electronics tax. Abolish the electronics tax and start working hard on Europe now instead!
Spread this PM
APPLiA is spreading the message about replacing the electronics tax and this memo to all our political and influencer contacts. Read our constructive memos you too and spread it to your own political contacts. Click here.
Kent Oderud, Chairman APPLiA Sweden
