Pourmokhtari told SVT:
– We are convinced that Swedes use plastic bags wisely in their daily lives, and there is no point in making them extra expensive.
The abolition of the tax will have a negative effect on tax revenues of 650 million kronor per year.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) has criticized the proposal. The agency said the tax could increase the number of plastic bags in the environment and prevent Sweden from meeting EU targets.
The year before the tax was introduced in 2019, consumption was 74 plastic carrier bags per person per year. Last year, the number dropped to 17. The EU target is a maximum of 40 plastic bags per person from 2025.