Health Insurance Fund: Civil servants call for actuarial study

CIVIL servants have expressed scepticism over the proposed compulsory National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), calling for more research to be conducted before the scheme is introduced.

The scheme, which will be run by National Social Security Authority (NSSA), will see money being deducted from the formally employed salaries. Apex Council chairperson Cecilia Alexander told Sunday News that while the idea and spirit of the scheme was noble, it was its affordability that workers were concerned about. Mrs Alexander said if the scheme was to be contributory it would further burden workers who were already overtaxed. She called for an actuarial evaluation to be conducted before the scheme is introduced.

“The idea is not bad but the economic climate may not allow workers to be in a position to afford. It’s not much about the idea but affordability. Our position has been that an actuarial evaluation be conducted so that we get recommendations and are well informed. We wouldn’t want a situation where the scheme eats into our pension scheme,” she said.

Added Mrs Alexander, “There has been talk that the scheme would be non-contributory, but if it’s going to be contributory then workers will not afford it. Workers are already overtaxed,” she said.

Progressive Teachers’ Union president Dr Takavafira Zhou said the Government needed to consult with the intended beneficiaries of the scheme first before introducing it.

“There is a need to engage us first. There is an adage which says ‘nothing for us without us’, or ‘anything for us without us is against us’. That’s the message we are sending to the Government,” he said.

Mr Zhou said the scheme was less likely to benefit workers.

“The scheme won’t benefit civil servants. Instead it will add to the overtaxing that’s being inflicted on civil servants. As long as we have not been consulted, the scheme remains a swindle,” he said.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) Women’s representative Mrs Esther Gunda concurred with Dr Zhou.

“We are worried, because we already have PSMAS which is not even performing to our expectations. Sometimes we are asked to make co-payments when you go to a doctor or health facility, yet you will be contributing every month,” she said.

Mrs Gunda said the health scheme would burden teachers who were already grappling with low income. She said civil servants might be comfortable with the scheme only when the Government reviews their salaries upwards.

“We are worried about these deductions because the Government is not looking at increasing our salaries. If the Government increases our salaries, I’m sure we will be comfortable having that health insurance scheme,” said Mrs Gunda.

Another Zimta official, Ms Thandekile Ngwenya said more research needed to be done on the feasibility of the scheme before its introduction.

“It’s noble if every aspect is taken note of. What we don’t want is to be cheated as is the case with other schemes that we have. More research needs to be done,” she said.

Workers in the private sector have also been on record resisting the scheme which will be operationalised through a Parliament Special Tax Act. The Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe (Emcoz) told a social contract dialogue in Harare recently that employers were opposed to the scheme.