Taxman leading Asia's war on sugar

SINGAPORE - Sugary drinks in Indonesia were once the strange bedfellows of high-end cars and branded bags.

For four years, they sat in the same tax category, until complaints from drink makers feeling the pinch prompted the scrapping of the luxury goods tax on sweetened beverages in 2004.

But amid growing health concerns, a tax on these drinks could well make a comeback in Indonesia, one of the top five countries struggling with diabetes.