‘Resist attempts to tax you for NHIS’ – Segbefia urges workers

Former Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia is entreating civil servants in Ghana to resist attempts by government to deduct any monies from their salaries to fund the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

He is of the view that it behooves on government to find innovative ways of funding the NHIS than worsening the plight of the Ghanaian worker by deducting monies from their paltry salaries.

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has stressed the need to increase the current financing model of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to help sustain it and have a premium healthcare system in Ghana.



The NHIS which was introduced in 2003 is currently financed by the 2.5 percent of the Value Added Tax (VAT) and 2.5 percent of the contributions from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

According to NHIA, the current contribution is woefully inadequate to fund the insurance scheme and so had proposed one percent increment in the VAT component from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent.

But speaking on the Gold Power Drive with Samuel Eshun, Mr. Segbefia suggested that instead of raising levies, the authority should rather block loopholes in their system.

He said the current cost of living does not support any attempt to burden the Ghanaian worker with more taxes.

Source: radiogold905.com