Impose special tax on alcohol, cigarettes, to fund primary healthcare, World Bank urges FG
Impose special tax on alcohol, cigarettes, to fund primary healthcare, World Bank urges FG
The World Bank Group has urged the Federal Government to impose special taxes on alcohol, cigarettes and sugar-sweetened beverages to help raise fund for primary healthcare across the country.
Mr Shubham Chaudhuri, the World Bank Group Country Director for Nigeria, stated this at a special National Council on Health meeting organised by the Federal Ministry of Health on Friday in Abuja.
Chaudhuri said that taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages would reduce the health risks associated with their consumption and expand fiscal space for universal health coverage post-Covid-19.
He said, “If we want to improve healthcare in Nigeria, we need to tax the things that are killing us. The economic rationale for taxing these products is strong if we want to save lives and make a better and healthier Nigeria.’’
The World Bank Country Director said that investing in stronger health systems for all would contribute to tackling rising poverty and inequality, adding that health tax increases would have the additional advantage of reducing future healthcare costs by curbing the growth of the non-communicable diseases that tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages cause.
Speaking at the event, Dr Walter Mulomba ,the World Health Organisation’s (WHO)representative in Nigeria, in his goodwill message, highlighted the enormous health needs of Nigerians and efforts made so far in meeting the needs.
He assured of WHO’s technical support for Nigeria in the development and implementation of its home-grown policies and plans in the context of the global health agenda as reflected in the country’s Cooperation Strategy.
Mulomba said, “This we have taken into consideration, even as we currently review our operational plan and budget for the next two years.’’
Mulombo said the duty of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through building resilient health systems, was a collective responsibility requiring incremental steps in the right direction and continuous improvement.
He said, “Tracking implementation of the resolutions of this Council in line with Nigeria’s and global health agenda will strengthen on-going journey towards promoting health, keeping the world safe, and serving the vulnerable.’’
The funding and improvement of the health sector in Nigeria is very critical and the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the level of rot and severe weakness in the sector.
The funding of primary healthcare is a very important determinant of economic development as a healthy population means higher productivity, thus higher income per head.
