ACT says more time is needed to debate UHI

Dar es Salaam. The opposition ACT-Wazalendo yesterday said broader stakeholders’ engagement is required for sustainability of the Universal Health Insurance (UHI) coverage.

The UHI Bill 2022 was tabled in Parliament on September 23, this year, carrying compulsory conditions for citizens to register in insurance schemes in order to secure some social services.

Also, the Bill declares the Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (Tira) as the overall regulator authorised to oversee insurance schemes and the quality of provided healthcare services in the country.

Following the submission, the Bill is expected to be read for the second time during the Parliamentary sitting slated for November 2, this year.

But, yesterday, ACT-Wazalendo told a press conference that party members appeared before the Parliamentary Social Services and Community Development Committee where they were given only seven minutes.

ACT-Wazalendo leader Zitto Kabwe said for the UHI sustainability, broader dialogue among stakeholders was inevitable.

“It shouldn’t be like the law that introduced electronic levies that forced the government to return to Parliament for amendment just three months after its enforcement,” he said.

Mr Kabwe, the former Kigoma Urban legislator said they urged President Samia Suluhu Hassan to instruct Health minister Ummy Mwalimu to delay the Bill’s second reading.

“UHI Bill should be delayed until January or February to give room for broader dialogue among citizens because of its interest to the majority of citizens,” he added.

He observed that reading the Bill for the second time without major improvement will cause serious problems that will bounce back to the Head of State.

“UHI is directly connected to demographic issues, therefore the delay will provide room for the release of findings of the 2022 National Census 2022 scheduled to be tabled next week,” he said.

According to him, the Census findings will give the country the actual number of Tanzanians and therefore requiring resources for universal healthcare services instead of relying on data from the National Census on 2012.

“Our data shows that 41 million (70pc) Tanzanians attended hospitals last year in 2021. But the census could come up with 70 million, a figure which would bring great changes to the system,” he said.

Furthermore, Mr Kabwe challenged the government for its failure to release figures of people targeted to contribute Sh340,000 and those receiving the support of the Tanzania Social Action Fund (Tasaf).

“Probably, this is a major failure in the Bill. However, delaying Bills is common in Commonwealth Parliaments as recorded in India and Nigeria,” he said.

The ACT-Wazalendo leader said he was seeking dialogue with heads of social security funds, the Finance and Planning minister, Health minister and the head of NHIF in order to resolve the matter.

According to him, the party had already written an open letter to President Hassan outlining their proposals requiring a comprehensive dialogue.

“We want a structural dialogue over the matter, they should come up with their figures and we will table ours. When 1.5 million members will contribute to social security funds and one fifth of the amount disbursed to the NHIF, then the fund will collect over Sh500 billion,” he said.

He said 7.4 million citizens have the ability to contribute 2/3 (Sh20,000) of Sh30,000 to social security funds with Sh10,000 dished by the government will enable social security funds to garner $786 billion which is equivalent to over Sh1.6 trillion.

He said according to statistics, significant government contribution will enable social security funds to collect Sh8 trillion, of which Sh1.6 trillion will be disbursed to universal health insurance.

Concerns from other stakeholders

Private health insurance funds chairman Aron Nelson told the Parliamentary Social Services and Community Development Committee in Dodoma on Wednesday that UHI needed to recognise and benefit polygamy families. Dodoma regional Muslim Cleric Mustapha Rajabu said Islam doesn’t support any form of discrimination.

“Justice should take its cause by providing equal benefits to every family regardless the number of wives,” said Sheikh Rajabu.

For her part, Ms Mariamu Mkanjala said UHI needed to lift the four children limit condition to benefit more children in the family. The Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Godwin Mollel said all stakeholders’ opinions will be accommodated.

“The most confusing part is that those who blamed us for the delay are now asking us to slow the process,” he said.