This is contained in the committee’s report on the 2023
national Budget tabled in Parliament this week.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care submitted a bid of
$820 billion to Treasury for its programmes, but received an allocation of
$473,76 billion, leaving a funding gap of $346,28 billion, even though health
is one of the major items in the Budget.
The committee proposed to Government the introduction of
the new taxes and ring-fencing of a health fund levy.
“This fund will target medical equipment, laboratories, and
medicines. The Budget allocation for this levy needs to be in United States
dollars to cater for the import of most medical equipment, drugs and
accessories,” reads the report.
The committee also proposed the creation of a road fund
levy to cater for casualty evacuations and treatment from road accidents and
treatment of those injured in the accidents.
If introduced, this will go towards blood procurement,
ambulances and emergency services,” said the committee.
The committee wanted promotion of public-private
partnerships to invest in quinary (specialist) health services.
The Zimbabwe diaspora community could ride on this facility
as Government was providing land as an incentive towards investment in this
area.
“PPPs can also be used for the creation of private wings in
big referral hospitals and funds collected from these are then used to
subsidise poor patients,” the committee said.
“Therefore, big companies, including big mining companies
among others, can be incentivised to participate in this initiative where they
will bring latest medical equipment and other requisite infrastructure.
“A PPP model that is already running at United Bulawayo
Hospitals for orthopaedic services to children can be replicated.”
The committee also lobbied for more “sin taxes” on tobacco
and alcohol to fund treatment of non-communicable diseases caused by the
consumption of the products.
A sin tax is an economic slang term for an excise tax specifically
levied on certain goods deemed harmful to society and individuals, such as
alcohol, tobacco, drugs, candies, soft drinks and fast foods among others.
Proposing a tax on manufactured and retail foods that cause
obesity, the committee said, would fund investigations and treatment of
diabetes; arthritis and dental disease that arose from the consumption of such
foods.
“A tax on beer and alcohol substance manufacturers should
also be introduced as consumption of these has mental health implications.
Allocate the collected funds towards operations or rehabilitation and detoxing
centres.” Herald
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