Govt delays deduction of 5% health levy on all airtime purchases

Appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health yesterday, acting Health and Child Care ministry permanent secretary, Robert Madyiradima, said that Government will delay effecting the deduction of a 5% levy on all airtime purchases, as it is currently working on coming up with a policy and guidelines to ensure accountability and transparency.

Said Madyiradima:

The health levy of 5% per every dollar of airtime targets purchase of medical commodities, and the Finance ministry has informed us that it is not yet taking off, as they are still working on the modalities of collection and policy guidelines. It will only take off when Treasury has worked out the policy. The Health ministry is ready to administer the fund, but Treasury is still crafting a policy instrument to look at issues of how to collect the money, and whether airtime users should share the costs with network providers and issues like that.

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