Niger revenue board Chairman advises residents to key into the state health insurance scheme
The Chairman of Niger state Board of Internal Revenue Service, Mr Mohammed Madami Etsu, has called on residents of the state especially those in the informal sector to key into the state health insurance scheme.
He made the call during a Joint meeting with the Niger state Social Insurance Health Care on the Integration of Tax for Service in Minna on Thursday.
Madami Etsu disclosed that the board is collaborating with the Niger state Contributory Health Agency (NiCARE) to bring people from the informal sector to join the state health insurance scheme.
“We are supporting the agency to get people from the informal sector to key into the health insurance scheme to achieve the purpose the agency was set up for and for it to come to funshion.
“This is because as a board we have been able to win the confidence of the informal sector towards revenue generation and registrations,” he said.
He said the board is to ensure that tax payers on its platform join the state health insurance scheme especially members of transport unions who are from the informal sector.
In her remarks, the Head of the Informal Sector, Niger state Contributory Health Agency (NGSCHS), Habiba Umaru, said residents of Niger state are expected to pay N7200 per annum to register for the scheme.
She said that the registered persons are issued with identification cards to start accessing healthcare services from any private and public health facility registered with NiCARE.
“This health insurance scheme is cheaper and more convenient as it help reduce medical expenditure amidst the harsh economic reality in the country,” she said.
Umaru said the N7200 covers for treatment such as malaria, antenatal care, typhoid, deliveries, road accident, snake bite, sickle cell anemia, ceasran, appendix, xtray, blood group and hyneiyan.
Also, Hajiya Ladidi Kuta, Commissioner for Transport in Niger, advised members of unions in transport sector to key into the scheme and pledged to register members of road traffic vanguard for free.
Responding, Malam Musa Isiaku, National Vice Chairmannof Almagamented Commercial Motorcycle Riders Owners Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), promised to mobilize their members to join the scheme.
NGSCHS is a healthcare financing reform (Social Health Insurance Scheme) which operates on the principles of harmony, risk- sharing and polling of resources for the provision of affordable, accessible and qualitative healthcare to workforce and residents alike on a sustainable basis.
