The Peruvian Deputy Health Minister Enrique Jacoby has claimed that unhealthy eating has cost Peru $8 Billion dollars per year. Considering the GDP of Peru is $153.84 Billion that's a big chunk at just over 5%. Jacoby claims that if anything can hamper the growth of this South American nation it is the loss of human capital due to diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. So, the government is now considering on imposing a tax on junk food.
This has some people up in arms including a Peruvian chef by the name of Gaston Acurio. Gaston, when he was a lad ate four dozen eggs every morning to help him grow large. Now that he's grown he eats five dozen eggs so he's roughly the size of a barge. He claims that the tax will be applied arbitrarily and confusingly. He opines that fried chicken in a restaurant will get taxed but the fried chicken sold in the market won't. Regardless though anyone who has ever tasted a Butifarra in the barrios of Huacho will be more than willing to pony up the extra cash to continue to enjoy this delicious sandwich. Ah my mouth is watering just thinking about it...
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