Government has announced a one per cent increment in the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL).

This is to say that the hitherto 2.5% NHIL charge on goods and services has increased to 3.5%.

This forms part of revenue measures to help recover Ghana’s economy after Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc to economies globally.

This was disclosed last Friday by the Interim Finance Minister Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu during the presentation of the 2021 budget presentation in Parliament.

In addition to the slight increment in NHIL, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said government has introduced new levies namely; Sanitation and Pollution levy, Energy sector recovery levy, Financial sector clean-up levy and the Covid-19 health levy.

According to the Majority Leader, who read the 2021 budget statement on behalf of the Finance Minister nominee Ken Ofori-Atta, these newly introduced levies are intended to be used in the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines.

It is also for the establishment of 14 medical waste treatment facilities and also to assist in the construction of 33 major health projects and the recruitment of more health professionals.

Government also announced the ‘Agenda 111’ project that will see to the construction of a 100 bed capacity hospital in districts with no hospitals.