The Senate Committee Chairman on Health, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe has decried and denied the fake news that is being peddled about taxation of one Kobo on telecom calls to source funding for the Vulnerable Group Fund in the recently signed National Health Insurance Bill. The Senator representing Kwara Central decried, denied the false news and also made a clarification below.
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.
