World Bank Urges FG to Impose Special Tax on Alcohol, Others to Fund Primary Healthcare
The World Bank Group has called on the Nigeria’s Federal Government to impose special taxes on alcohol, cigarettes and sugar-sweetened beverages to help fund primary healthcare across the country.
Mr. Shubham Chaudhuri, country director for Nigeria, World Bank Group, made the submission at a special National Council on Health at a recent meeting organized by the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja.
Chaudhuri stated that taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages would reduce the health risks associated with their consumption and expand fiscal space for universal health coverage post-Covid-19.
“If we want to improve healthcare in Nigeria, we need to tax the things that are killing us. The economic rationale for taxing these products is strong if we want to save lives and make a better and healthier Nigeria,” the country director said.
He stated that investing in stronger health systems for all would contribute to tackling rising poverty and inequality.
He explained that health tax increases would have the additional advantage of reducing future healthcare costs by curbing the growth of the non-communicable diseases that tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages cause.
In his goodwill message, Dr Walter Mulomba, WHO’s representative in Nigeria, harped on the enormous health needs of Nigerians and efforts made so far in meeting the needs.
Mulomba pledged WHO’s technical support for Nigeria in the development and implementation of its home-grown policies and plans in the context of the global health agenda as reflected in the country’s Cooperation Strategy.
“This we have taken into consideration, even as we currently review our operational plan and budget for the next two years,’’ he said.
According to him, the duty of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through building resilient health systems was a collective responsibility requiring incremental steps in the right direction and continuous improvement.
“Tracking implementation of the resolutions of this Council in line with Nigeria’s and global health agenda will strengthen on-going journey towards promoting health, keeping the world safe, and serving the vulnerable,” Mulomba added.
