Last week, I was in Jinja with my colleagues from UAPA.
We were there to meet and interact with the leadership of Jinja district on the issue of alcohol regulation.
Everything went so well on my part!
It felt so good being back in Jinja after 5 years!
The team that travelled from Kampala included we from the Secretariat, officials from both the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health respectively.
We shared what we had prepared for them in the form of presentations…I am talking from statistics of victims of alcohol harm, money that they can save as a district and country at large from alcohol harm mitigation etc.
They shared with us their pains and struggles with alcohol harm in their community especially, amongst the youth.
We also listened in to 2 testimonies from people that are now living sober (very touching if you ask me)!
It reminded me of those times, when I was trying much more to balance out everything in my life.
Most of all, we shared meals together!
(It is even a sin to me not to share food with those around and next to me!)
One particular submission caught my attention so much and left me thinking….
It must have been the Deputy Town Clerk of Jinja South if I’m not mistaken.
She paused a question to us all that I am paraphrasing now,
“What do you want me, that is interested in taxes to develop our district, to do when you send me all these people from Kampala? These people come here and tell us they are investors, and I don’t have the power to stop them from doing what they are want?”
Big alcohol, we are told, comes with big buckets of taxes with them.
It is known taxes paid are good for us all, right?
Where then, do we strike a balance between public health, investment in big alcohol and taxes collected?
I want you to think about that!
That big alcohol might bring in money, but where does that money go? Does it go back to improving the community or lining pockets? That’s the real question in any situation like this no matter where it is.
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Life is always a balancing act, even when it comes to the money something will bring a community versus the risk involved. It’s definitely worth questioning and looking at all sides of it.
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Interesting and thought-provoking post. As a society taxes bring help to create neighborhood necessities and improvements. I guess it really depends on where the money is really going and to whom it helps.
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Live is definitely all about the balance act. Great question that makes you go hmmmm. Finding out how, when and if the tax money gets used is the biggest question in my mind.
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Thank you for sharing your experience and insights from the meeting in Jinja. It’s important to consider the balance between public health, investment in big alcohol, and taxes collected. It’s a complex issue that requires thoughtful consideration and finding solutions that prioritize the well-being of the community. Keep up the great work!
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It’s interesting to read about alcohol, health, investments and taxes. Thank you for sharing this and getting us to think.
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There are so many systems in place that don’t make a lot of sense, including this. Definitely is some food for thought.
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Interesting topic! It’s more important to think the community’s sake first before anything else. But yes we should balance it all and it depends where the money goes.
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That’s amazing! This is one of the most interesting topics! Thank you for sharing this information with me.
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It’s definitely a complex issue to navigate when it comes to balancing public health, investment, and taxes. As a society, we have to consider all of these factors and find a solution that works for everyone. It’s important to have discussions like these to bring awareness to the challenges we face and work towards finding a way forward.
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This is fabulous. So important for folks to hear true stories and testimonies.
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This is a really great and very informative post, I enjoy reading this knowing or understanding more about this is really great
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That a thought provoking question. I wonder where we draw the balance too between all these things.
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It all needs to be balanced or else it’ll all crumble down. I just hope that the higher authorities would plan for the greater good of the community and help those in need.
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I am a fan of charging high taxes on products like alcohol, tobacco, etc. It would be great if they can use that money to protect and educate the youth on these products.
👏🏿👏🏿 same goes for me.
I’m so glad it went well for you! And talking about subjects like this is so important to help others. I appreciate all the hard work you’re putting in to make a difference!
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You made me think. Yes, life is a balance, and even taxes are part of that. Thanks for all your hard work and for making a difference.
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A meaningful topic, indeed. How wonderful that you are doing your part to help bring awareness and spawn action.
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Balancing public health, investment in big alcohol, and taxes is a complex challenge. It requires thoughtful policies that prioritize public health while fostering a conducive environment for investment. Striking this balance entails considering harm mitigation measures, promoting responsible business practices, and reinvesting tax revenues into community welfare.
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Great topics to be bringing to light! Glad to hear that this was on the table for discussion.
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What do you mean Alcohol taxes are high? Here in the PH, the taxes imposed on alcohol and cigarettes are. high to discourage consumers from buying them — and instead opt for more affordable, practical, healthy options – like food. When the taxes imposed are high, the prices of these commodities are high, too. I think it’s beneficial for the government and ideally, the people.
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Sometimes it’s difficult to balance. And we need to wok and learn how to do that. Something we should do. Very interesting post.
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You got me thinking. In India too, alcohol is heavily taxed. Yet, we never worry about the balance between paying these taxes and public health! I guess I try to follow a middle path that involves moderation in every one of those issues.
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