PeP calls on govt to consider revising section 13 of NHI bill

PeP President Sean Tembo

Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) president Sean Tembo has called upon Government to consider revising Section 13 of the National Health Insurance Bill so that membership and contribution to the proposed National Health Insurance Scheme should be made optional rather than mandatory.

He says this is because Section 13 of the draft Bill makes it mandatory for every Zambian of full legal capacity, to belong to and contribute to the proposed National Health Insurance Scheme.

Mr. Tembo explains that similarly, Section 15 of the Bill makes it compulsory for all employees and employers to contribute to the proposed National Health Insurance Scheme.

He says Zambian people are currently already over-taxed and this proposed mandatory contribution to the National Health Insurance Scheme, is a form of tax to the citizens which the majority of impoverished citizens can ill afford.

Mr Tembo has told Q-news that a good number of citizens, especially in the urban areas, already belong to private health schemes, adding that it will be unreasonable for government to compel people to quit belonging to these private health schemes and instead join the proposed government run National Health Insurance Scheme.