Duty charged from harmful substances to health to go to Public Health Fund

Public Health Fund Regulation has been gazetted and has come into force – which stipulates that a part of the duty charged from harmful substances to health be transferred to the Public Health Fund.

As per the regulation, the fines charged under the Public Health Protection Act must be transferred to the fund. Three percent of duty charged from cigarettes and items which include nicotine and a stipulated amount from duty charged from unhealthy processed foods should also be transferred to the Fund.

In addition to this, revenue earned through the implementation of the Act as well revenue earned through other means for health-related purposes must also be transferred to the Fund.

The Health Ministry will be responsible for the operations of Public Health Fund, and its monies. Subsequently, a nine-member committee must be formed to oversee the Fund.

This Committee will include Health Minister, Director General of Public Health, two representatives from the Health Protection Agency (HPA), one representative from Maldives Food and Drug Authority, a legal officer of Health Ministry and three other staff from Health Ministry.

Under the regulation, it is HPA that must make requests for the utilization of monies from the Public Health Fund. On this note, the purposes for which the monies from the Fund will be utilized – must be included in HPA’s yearly plan.

Public Health Fund was formulated under Public Health Protection Act – to be used as expenditure for public health-related purposes.