Govt considering tax on alcohol & cigarettes to increase financial resources for health

Government is considering introducing taxes on harmful products like alcohol and cigarettes to increase domestic financial resources for health, amid reports that the country requires about $7,6 million between 2015 and 2020 to improve national health service provision.

Addressing delegates at the Community Working Group on Health’s 23rd annual meeting in Harare recently, planning and donor coordination officer in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Mr Gwati Gwati said government should also consider “sin taxes” as a way of discouraging people from consuming harmful substances. He also revealed that the  current financial resources towards health fall short of national needs.

More: Herald