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Senate Debunks Inclusion Of Telecom Tax In National Health Insurance policy
Fred Omotara, Lagos
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe has debunked widespread claimes that the Federal Government has included a Telecom Tax in the National Health Insurance Authority Law.
In series of tweets made on his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday, the Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial district from the APC explained that Section 25 of the Act provides five different sources of funding for the new law.
According to Senator Oloriegbe, “There is false information being disseminated on the inclusion of “Telecom Tax of 1 kobo per second” as one of the sources of funds for the “Vulnerable group Fund” in the signed National Health Insurance Authority Law.
“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no Telecom Tax in the act. Section 25 of the Act which deals with the Vulnerable Group fund Provides the following Sources of funds as listed below:
“(a) Basic Health care Provision Fund to the Authority;
(B) Health Insurance levy;
(C) Special intervention fund allocated by the Government & appropriated to the Vulnerable Group Fund;
(D) Money that accrues to the Vulnerable Group Fund from Investment made by the Council; and
(E) Investment made by the council, Grants, donations, gifts, and any other voluntary contributions made to the vulnerable group fund
“Finally, In line with legal procedures; the signed copy of the act will be released by the clerk to the National Assembly after Gazetting; Until this is done, any copy being circulated is fake and mischievous.”