Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has proposed a sin tax for the 2022 national budget, which will raise the prices of cigarettes and alcohol, to help finance the health sector.
Presenting a position paper on the 2022 national budget at a pre-budget seminar held in Victoria Falls, Chiwenga proposed that beer drinkers and cigarette smokers be taxed more in order to enable the country to improve its dilapidated health system.
He also pushed to divert some Zinara funds to the Health ministry to avoid overtaxing the already overstretched citizens.
“With regards to alcohol, a certain number of bottles should contribute to financing healthcare services. So let us have a cent from alcohol, cigarettes and Zinara fees, to fund national health services.”
The VP said alcohol and cigarette manufacturers would be directly taxed depending on the quantities of the manufactured products.
His remarks came at a time when the Health ministry is experiencing massive brain drain.
