On taxing commonly consumed commodities

Commodities that are commonly consumed have been taxed to generate revenues.
Tobacco and alcoholic products pose health hazards and it is said that the sin taxes on cigarettes and alcoholic drinks substantially increased their retail prices resulting in reduction of their consumption.
Following this, tax on sugar-sweetened beverages has been implemented, and recently health authorities are pushing for an excise tax on salt since high intake of sodium in salt causes hypertension and heart failure.
If a “salt tax” is imposed, the price of salt and salted products will correspondingly increase and will be again passed on to the consumers.
The Filipino diet is made up of salt as a basic ingredient. To the impoverished, they survive with a meal of rice with plain salt, or with fish or soy sauce, or salted dried fish, or a bowl of salty noodle soup. Why tax salt to increase its price to generate revenue?
The best that could be done is for manufacturers to reduce the sodium content of salt and salted food products, which should be periodically analyzed to have a safe level before they are marketed to protect the health of high salt eating Filipinos. — PERCIVAL B. ALIPIT, Baguio City