Published: Less than 10 min ago
According to the Sweden Democrats, the tax on plastic bags has been a “non-issue” that the party was bothered about and saw as “a strange element in tax policy”.
Now the Green Party is reacting to the new decision.
– It shows again who controls climate and environmental policy, it is the Sweden Democrats, says Janine Alm Ericson (MP).
The debated tax on plastic bags is to be abolished on the first of January, the government and the Sweden Democrats have agreed on this in negotiations on the upcoming spring budget, which SR Ecot was the first to report.
On Monday, the issue of the plastic bag tax will be referred and will result in a decision to either completely remove it or significantly reduce it.
Why is it important to you to remove this tax?
– Like many others, we have been bothered by this tax and have always wanted to remove it, and now we agree on the basis, says Oscar Sjöstedt, economic policy spokesperson for SD.
Isn’t it important that Sweden still contributes to reducing littering in nature and the seas even though these problems are greater in other countries?
– I don’t see that this tax contributes to that at all. The only thing that has happened is that people instead buy large rolls of waste bags from China or other countries. And I don’t know anyone who throws plastic bags in nature, then you’re stupid, says Oscar Sjöstedt (SD).
“Shows who’s in charge”
The Green Party’s economic policy spokesperson, Janine Alm Ericson, about the new decision:
– We have seen that this tax has produced the results it was intended to do, namely to reduce single-use plastics. For us, it is now interesting that they are presented by the government instead of compensating for this.
She is referring to the EU directive which is set to reduce single-use plastics and where several countries in Europe have already taken measures.
But according to Oscar Sjöstedt (SD), there are no plans to make such a proposal.
– I don’t think that this measure needs to be compensated, the only thing that has happened here is that the lunch box, of which the plastic bag is a part, is now a few kroner cheaper, so I don’t see that these measures need to be compensated. And if that happens, it’s another discussion in another forum, says Sjöstedt.
According to Janine Alm Ericson, the new decision is a defeat for the Liberals, the party that negotiated the tax in the January agreement last term.
– It shows again who controls climate and environmental policy. It is not the Liberals who rule, but the Sweden Democrats.