As Finance Minister Tito Mboweni prepares to deliver his Budget Speech on February 24, industry association the South African Cane Growers Association has called for an immediate decrease to the health promotion levy (HPL) or sugar tax, stating that this will help in the recovery of the local sugar industry and safeguard the one-million livelihoods that depend on it. The call for a decrease to the sugar tax is even more urgent in light of recent announcements that an additional R100-billion in revenue has accrued to the National Treasury, association chairperson Rex Talmage says.