12
May
Hertta-Maria Amutenja A group of Namibians living with chronic conditions is calling on the government to remove Value Added Tax (VAT) and import duties on essential medication. Group spokesperson Stephen Bellesini said the appeal comes from personal experience of paying out of pocket for chronic medication not available in public hospitals. “State pharmacies only stock items listed on the Namibia Essential Medicines List (NEMLIST), which excludes many specialised or newer treatments required for chronic conditions. That leaves responsible citizens no choice but to turn to private pharmacies, where they face not just the full price of the medicine but layers…