Calls in Parliament to fund Universal Healthcare Act through all-industry licensing fee
There are calls in the House of Representatives for a EGP 500,000 licensing fee for factories in all industries to help fund the Universal Healthcare Act, sources in parliament tell Al Borsa. The EGP 600 bn healthcare plan is already set to be partially funded through licensing fees on the healthcare sector running between EGP 10,000 and EGP 500,000, in addition to tithes on the sale of construction materials. Hearings tomorrow: The House of Representatives’ health and budget committees will hold special hearings on financing the Universal Healthcare Act with Finance Minister Amr El Garhy and Health Minister Ahmed Rady on Monday.
Separately, the House Health Committee has amended the procedures of establishing new pharmacies outlined in the Act, committee deputy head Ayman Aboulela said, Al Mal reports. According to Aboulela, the amended article now puts in place a mechanism for new state-owned pharmacies to contract existing private pharmacies.