Politician have joined the growing calls for the government to scrap taxation and import duties on all essential, non-cosmetic medication, particularly those prescribed for chronic illnesses.
This comes after a group of people living with chronic conditions reached out to The Namibian this week to advocate for the removal of value- added tax (VAT) and import duties on essential medication.
The group’s spokesperson, Stephen Bellesini, stated that this appeal is based on personal experiences of having to pay for essential chronic medications that are inaccessible in public hospitals.
“Imagine struggling to breathe, not because you ran a marathon, but because your lungs are locked in a losing battle with asthma: a chronic, life-threatening condition.
“Now imagine that, on top of that struggle, the very government entrusted with your well-being charges you tax for the medication that keeps you alive,” he stressed.
Bellesini told The Namibian that despite constitutional guarantees and Namibia’s international commitments, this chronic medication and many other life-preserving medications remain subject to VAT.
He further stressed that this is not just morally indefensible, it is, arguably, unconstitutional and a right denied in practice.
“Article 95 of the Namibian Constitution lays out the principles of state policy, including the commitment to provide reasonable access to health facilities and services. While this is not an enforceable right per se (unlike Article 8 on human dignity), it is a binding obligation upon which government policy must be based,” he said.
Landless People’s Movement youth league leader Duminga Ndala yesterday said the removal of taxation on this essential medication is both timely and deeply important.
“Access to affordable treatment is a fundamental part of the right to health, and taxation on chronic medication can place an unnecessary financial burden on individuals who are already managing long-term health challenges,” she said.
Ndala said that removing or reducing such taxes could significantly improve medication adherence, reduce complications and ultimately ease the pressure on the public healthcare system.
According to Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters deputy leader Kalimbo Iipumbu, the exemption of chronic medication from tax is in line with the principles of justice and fairness.
“For us to attain economic freedom, we need to meet people halfway. You can’t be asking someone to pay tax every day on medication they rely on to stay alive.
“The government should show its commitment to fairness and prosperity by removing this burden,” Kalimbo stressed.
He added that a chronic illness is an everyday health matter that people must take care of.
“So you can’t be asking this person to pay tax each and every day. So I think it’s best that we really look into the matter and exempt all chronic illness medications so that these people who are acquiring them, who are buying them, are not really subjected to paying tax,” he said.
Councillor of the Judea Lyaboloma constituency Humphrey Divai pointed out the financial toll high medication doses and frequent medical visits take on those living with chronic illnesses.
“These people go to the hospital regularly, unlike others who may only need to visit once or twice a month. Their medical aid gets depleted quickly due to the cost of chronic medication. The government should seriously consider removing the tax,” Divai said.
He added that people with chronic conditions have to go to the hospital more frequently than those diagnosed with acute or cureable conditions.
“But for a chronic person, the medication, the medical aid gets depleted just because of the medication that they are taking. They are on high doses and all that. So, I would suggest that the government should also look at that and remove the taxation on those chronic illness medication,” Humphrey said.
National Democratic Party leader Martin Lukato yesterday said the party has been calling for the removal of taxation on essential medication through its manifesto and will continue to do so.
“VAT should be removed on this kind of medication because already these poor people are suffering from not only their illness but also the financial burdens of sometimes having to buy their medication,” Lukato said.
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