He stopped short of saying a proposed levy had been abandoned altogether.

Public submissions for the proposed levy changes can be made until 25 October.

The union says the proposed levy is far too severe on public servants with low or moderate incomes.

The money from the proposed levy should be ring-fenced and targeted at alcohol campaigns alone, he said yesterday.

Consultation on the proposed levy is open until 22 July 2018.

The American economist, James Tobin, first proposed levying a small tax on international financial transactions almost 30 years ago.

An amendment to the Tonga government's proposed levy on foreign exchange earnings is to be tabled in parliament soon.

In a rare move, Government and opposition politicians unanimously agreed at committee stage to reject the proposed levy as it stands.

The proposed levy would be 10 cents per kilogram of honey sold - and collect about two million dollars a year.

Photo: 123RF Queenstown Lakes District mayor Jim Boult outlined the proposed levy in an open letter following criticism from the accommodation sector.

The Conservatives had proposed levies on foreign workers and a brutal cap on migration that would have left employers starved of talent.

The gambling tax is just one of a bevy of proposed levies aimed at the wallets of Internet shoppers, gamblers and etailers.

In a rare move, Government and Opposition politicians agreed at committee stage yesterday that the proposed levy as it stands should not proceed.

The Hawkes Bay apple industry is negotiating with Napier's port over two proposed levies the sector says could cost it millions of dollars.

A first attempt at a deal last week collapsed when the Cypriot parliament rejected a proposed levy on all deposits, large and small.

Irish officials were stunned yesterday when Belgium's Finance Minister, Mr Didier Reynders, proposed levying a new EU tax on all citizens in the Union.