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Aids levy totals $26,5m

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CIVIL servants contributed a paltry 3% of the $26,5 million collected through the Aids levy last year, the National Aids Council (NAC) has disclosed.

CIVIL servants contributed a paltry 3% of the $26,5 million collected through the Aids levy last year, the National Aids Council (NAC) has disclosed.

Report by Nqobile Bhebhe Senior Reporter

In a statement accompanying NAC’s audited financial statements for the year ending December 31 2011, board chairman David Mutambara said there was a reduction in revenue collection in the period under review, as traditional donors scaled down contributions.

“Aids levy collections were 76,5% of total income recorded in 2011,” he said.

“The bulk of the levy collections, 97%, was from employers in the private sector, local authorities and State enterprises, while the civil service contributed 3%.

“Despite a notable 28,9% increase to $26,5 million in Aids levy collections, the total income for the year declined by 14,3 % from $39,9 million in 2010 to $34,6 million.

“The reduction in revenue was due to a decrease in external/donor support.”

Zimbabwe introduced a compulsory 3% Aids levy to all employees with taxable incomes and their employers in 1999 to fund Aids mitigation programmes.

Funds from the levy finance the co-ordination, monitoring and evaluation of programmes such as distribution of condoms, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and nutritional support to infected individuals. In 2009, NAC collected $5,7 million and $20,5 million in 2010.

Mutambara said financial support from donors dropped significantly from $18, 7 million received in 2010 to $7 million in 2011.

The report said the country had an estimated 1 159 097 people living with HIV and a prevalence rate of 15,2% compared to 18% in 2006. By end of December last year, 476 321 people were on treatment against the 593 168 that were in need.

However, Mutambara said the increasing funding gap remained a significant risk to the financing of HIV and Aids programmes due to negative economic pressure both at the local and international levels.

“The board has prioritised resources mobilisation from both traditional and new sources in and out of the country to ensure sustainable funding for the response,” he added.