NEWS | Industry News
A tax we cannot sugar coat
Jonathan Hart, chief executive of the Automatic Vending Association (AVA), discusses the AVA’s participation in a newly-formed coalition against the proposed tax on soft drinks.
The sugar tax has been high on the media and political agenda in 2016, particularly since plans to introduce a levy on soft drinks were announced by the former chancellor in March. Most recently, research from global forecasting group Oxford Economics made the headlines, with figures showing that the sugar tax would put more than 4,000 UK jobs at risk and cost the economy £132m as a result of lower sales. The AVA has not shied away from expressing our concerns on the plans. Earlier this year, I wrote to the major national newspapers and to the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt MP, to outline the vending industry’s views on the matter. Keen to ensure we continue do as much as possible to
represent our members on this key issue, the AVA has recently joined a coalition of influential industry bodies from across the soft drinks supply chain. The ‘Face the Facts: Can the tax’ coalition includes organisations that represent soft drinks manufacturers, suppliers and retailers, all of whom are affected by the tax. We all want to see a policy based on the facts so we are joining together to warn government about the effects that the tax will have on our economy and write to the new Chancellor to ask him to urgently review the policy. The AVA’s stance on the matter remains clear: education
on how to maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet and better product labelling must be the main focuses. An approach that prioritises taxation will simply lead to price increases, which could have negative consequences for many of our members’ businesses. We are confident that by working together with other industries affected by these proposals, we will be able to communicate our opposition to the plans more effectively and ensure that our concerns are addressed by those in power.
Contact: ROSIE MILLS E:
rosie.mills@
ava-vending.co.uk T: 01494 568963
Ensuring a standard approach to quality
EDWCA chairman James Anderton says that taking a more pragmatic and progressive approach to training and affiliate partnerships is key to creating a single voice across Europe.
As a European trade association, EDWCA has a key role to play to protect members’ interests and ensure that they operate to the highest standards in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Our members need to continually meet the necessary industry and regulatory standards, so from EDWCA’s fundamental objective is to assist our members in developing the right strategy around products and services. We need to have a clear voice and the
right training tools and perspective, providing a comprehensive and meaningful in-house training programme to help our members reach their goals. We are no longer just a water cooler association. We believe that
the best way to grow is to align with other on- and offshore organisations like the AVA and the EVA that are ‘best-in-class’ within their respective field. The value proposition for EDWCA membership is having the right access and tools through a wider pool of products and services, which is why I believe affiliate partnerships are key. It’s important that our members see us as thought-leaders, which is why we are currently working with the EVA on benchmarking standards. We remain committed to working with companies to help them
succeed and attain the highest standard, which is why each of our members is audited on an annual basis. It ensures that they meet the strict criteria for membership, but also gives them confidence to launch more products and services, and to be successful in an uncertain marketplace. The EDWCA is affiliating with other associations within the
beverage industry to ensure that our standards for quality assurance are both relevant and ahead of the curve. Coffee is big business these days, which is why big brands are looking to capitalise on it. More companies are looking to expand their core business to explore new opportunities, which is why both Mercedes and McDonalds now have dedicated coffee outlets, without a car or burger in sight, so watch this space!
Contact: Tracy Corroll E:
tracy@edwca.com T: 0845 832 2199 10 |
vendinginternational-online.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32