MPs call for Aids Levying of the informal sector

Legislators from the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Welfare are calling for the levying of the informal sector as a resource mobilisation strategy to combat HIV and AIDS.

The prevailing situation where only 20% of people on anti-retroviral drugs are being funded under the national programme and the rest are being supported by donor agencies, is a clear demonstration that levy collections from the formal sector are not enough to make HIV treatment accessible to everyone. 

Currently the Aids levy is pegged at 3% of gross salary for those in the formal sector and those in the informal sector are not contributing anything.

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Welfare member, Obert Matshalaga says there is need to come up with ways to levy the informal sector.

He said there is need for everyone gainfully employed  to contribute to the Aids levy because the pandemic is cross-cutting and does not discriminate whether one is in the formal sector or not.

Another committee member who is also Chairman of the Zimbabwe Parliamentarians on HIV and AIDS, Mr Blessing Chebundo noted the need for the National Aids Council Act to be amended to give NAC an oversight role on everyone to comply.      

Although Zimbabwe has made strides in reducing new infections, with the HIV prevalence rate now pegged at 13.7%, the declining global funding on HIV and Aids programmes is a major cause for concern.

Stakeholders in the health sector therefore say there is need for the country to work collectively in funding for HIV.