Civil servants have rejected the government’s proposal for a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) saying that the scheme unrealistic. The Apex Council, the union which represents all civil servants, also said that they do not trust the government to manage public funds. They highlighted the government’s failure to manage PSMAS as an example.
Cecil Alexandar, the Apex chairperson said:
Government’s bankrupting of PSMAS means that it has lost public confidence as a custodian of any national scheme funds. It is owing the organisation millions and it is failing to meet its salary and pension obligations with NSSA
Also we have only 10 percent of the population on medical aid. From those, government has, say 5-7 percent civil servants on PSMAS, but is failing to honour that obligation. What more with a national scheme?
The Apex Council suggested that the government should implement the scheme at a later time when the economy is stable and there are more people who are formally employed. They feel that if the scheme is implemented right now, servants would end up paying another tax, without bein guaranteed treatment when they need it.
For the last three years we have not asked or received an increment but civil servants are overtaxed, overworked and underpaid. Workers feel this will be just another tax without the guarantee to health.
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