One of the most talked-about is a tax of one peso (about 8 cents) on
every liter of sugary beverages, which our Congress approved on
Thursday. The tax — part of a fiscal reform package that also includes
an 8 percent tax on junk food — is aimed at obesity.
By various measures, Mexico is either the world’s fattest country, or the second fattest, after the United States.
So here’s an idea: now that we’ve taxed soda, let’s tax corruption.
According to the Mexican employers’ association, the cost of corruption
is 9 percent of our economic output ($1.2 trillion). If you apply the
standard value-added tax of 16 percent, you’ll collect $17 billion. If
you think a tax on soft drinks will make us healthier, just imagine what
a tax on corruption could do.
Dan Woodger
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