Coca-Cola chief executive Muhtar Kent on Thursday weighed in against proposed soda taxes, arguing that they would not help produce jobs.

In an environment in which consumers have "reset" their spending and trimmed budgets, reducing unemployment should be the top task, Kent said during an interview on CNBC.

"As far as taxation is concerned, job creation is the No. 1 priority," he told Maria Bartiromo. "Taxation really goes against that principle and philosophy."

First reported by the AJC on Twitter here.

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