Alcohol drinkers to pay more as tax surges

Alcohol drinkers are set to pay more as a twice-yearly tax hike comes into effect from Monday. Drinkers will now pay $101.85 in tax per litre of pure alcohol. This is expected to increase the price of a pint by 90 cents. Distillers and brewers are warning the tax scheme needs to change as the costs are becoming prohibitive. The alcohol excise currently increases automatically twice a year, indexed with inflation.