Parliament has approved an amount of ¢174 million as tax waiver on income taxes for front line health workers.

The waiver covers personal emoluments for the months of July, August and September respectively.

The approval is in line with President Akufo-Addo’s promise to give health workers additional allowances of 50% as tax-free on their basic salary per month.

The tax incentive was designed by government as a token compensation to encourage healthcare workers, especially frontline health personnel to continue to make sacrifices in caring for those infected with Covid-19.

According to the Finance Committee report, the number of health workers who fell into the frontline category for the months of April, May and June 2020 was 6,091, 7,418, and 7,196 respectively with corresponding expenditure on the additional allowances being ¢6.5 million, ¢7.5 million, and ¢7.6 million for the month of April, May and June 2020 respectively.

Presenting the Finance Committee report, the Chairman, Dr Assibey Yeboah said personal emoluments are estimated at ¢168 million and additional allowances at ¢5 million cedis.

Speaking to Adom News following the approval, Kumbungu MP Ras Mubarak raised concerns about inclusion of BNI officials as frontline workers.

According to him the move is unjustifiable given agitations from some health workers over their exclusion.

He also added that should the BNI be added to the list of frontline workers, other agencies like the Auditor General's department should as well be added for their work during the pandemic.