By Alhaji Alhasan Abdulai
It is common knowledge that tobacco products such as cigarettes and alcohol are leading causes of serious sicknesses and deaths the world over. In Ghana our hospitals and other health facilities have for many years been providing reports of increase in fatalities through smoking and strong drinks. There is the need for our authorities to find ways of discouraging people young and old from abusing tobacco and strong drinks. One workable way of getting people out of these bad ways is to intensify sensitization programs in schools colleges and communities on the dangers in smoking and drinking alcohol.
Apart from educating people especially the school going kids, those who persist in the bad habit should be made to pay for their bad habits.
The call by a staff of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for an increase in the taxes on ?sinful? pleasures such as consumption of alcohol and tobacco is proper. Amounts generated from taxes on tobacco and strong drinks should be made to go to cushion the NHIS funds
Making the case on Joy News Thursday, NHIS Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs Samuel Buabasah argued that the excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco ultimately leads to sickness, and abusers of such products must be taxed more.
He believes that if uncontrolled appetite for these ?sins? causes sickness then increasing taxes on it so that the NHIS could raise more money, is the best way to go. The argument by Mr. Buabasah is sound and therefore must be taken serious by the authorities concerned.
According to the World Bank, Smoking prevalence rate in Ghana which was last measured in 2009 stood at 10.62,
The NHIS, Ghana?s social safety net, is facing an unprecedented fight for survival after it emerged that although the Finance Ministry has released all funds raised through the 2.5% National Health Insurance Levy, the Scheme is still facing serious financial challenges.
The Scheme has an over 400 million cedis funding gap expected to climb to over 817million cedis by 2016 if measures are not taken to plug the hole.
Mr. Buabasah said the Scheme is also pushing for some percentage of Road fund and the Communications Service Tax to be channeled to the scheme.
The 2.5% NHIL which has been unchanged since 2005 will have to be reviewed upwards, he said. The Scheme is working to get a 1% increase passed through parliament.
ource: Edwin Appiah || myjoyonline and
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EANFOWORLD FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
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