by Patience Rashai
As Government props up efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, it has tabled a 12 month tax free risk allowance for frontline health workers.
Presenting the Mid Term Budget and Economic Review, this Thursday, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube said that treasury had tabled a non-taxable Covid-19 risk allowance for frontline health personnel.
“We propose a tax exemption of the Covid-19 risk allowances payable to Public Sector Frontline Health Personnel, of employees for a period of twelve (12) months commencing from, 1 April 2020,” he said.
This will be an additional effort by Government to cushion health workers from the impact of Covid-19, following the previously agreed stance by Government to enable ‘flexible’ working hours for those in the health sector.
Appreciating the move, Rufaro Mutasa, a nurse at Harare Central Hospital, said it was encouraging to note that Government was appreciating their worthy.
“Whilst frontline workers, currently report for duty for a week before going off duty for two weeks as part of measures to reduce our exposure to Covid-19, it is also encouraging to have a laid out financial incentive for planning purposes, and 12 months is really a long time. I am sure by then we would have made headway on the diseases,” said Mutasa.
Apart from ‘cushioning’ the frontline workers, Government is also tackling the Covid-19 pandemic in a multi-sectoral approach.
“For the period to, 30 June 2020, direct support amounting to ZWL$1.8 billion had been disbursed to various ministries, agencies and departments,” said Prof Mthuli.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care has since been allocated ZWL$738.5 million mainly in support of Covid-19 Risk allowances, additional employment costs from recruitment of additional staff to fight Covid-19, capacity building of health staff (training), procurement of health and laboratory equipment including the consumables, procurement of personnel protective equipment; and rehabilitation and construction of isolation units.
