Parliament’s minority is demanding that Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson issue an apology for the government’s breach of its promise to uncap financing for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Removing the cap on NHIS funds was a campaign pledge made by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), which the Caucus accused of not keeping.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, March 4, Dr. Ayew Afriye, the Member of Parliament for Effiduase Asokore, said that the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) had suffered as a result of the previous administration’s decision to curtail financing.
Dr. Afriye also took issue with the Finance Minister’s recent statements at the National Economic Dialogue, in which he blamed the ongoing NHIS funding cap on NHIA mismanagement and budgetary deficiencies.
He rejected this justification as a means of hiding the government’s failure to fulfill its obligations.
“The NDC convinced the nation that the NPP’s capping of NHIS funds was harmful. They promised to uncap it and make all revenues available to the NHIA.”
“Now that they are in power, the Finance Minister is struggling to uncap the funds and is instead citing mismanagement and financial shortfalls. That claim is untrue,” Dr. Afriye stated.
He maintained that charges of misuse are unfounded because NHIS monies are statutory allocations that have been approved by Parliament with the backing of both the majority and the minority.
“For years, Parliament has approved NHIS budgets without any concerns about mismanagement. Why is this suddenly an issue just because he is the Finance Minister?”
“He should acknowledge that they cannot uncap the funds and apologize to Ghanaians,” he said.
Dr. Afriye warned that any shortage would be unacceptable and underlined that the Minority expects all NHIS funding to be allocated to the NHIA in the upcoming budget.
Source: newsthemegh.com