Source: Psmas debt not priority: Minister – DailyNews Live
Bridget Mananavire 19 May 2017
HARARE – Government will not be settling the $150 million-plus Premier
Service Medical Aid Society (Psmas) debt any time soon because it has
other competing commitments, Public Service minister Prisca Mupfumira has
said.
She was responding to Gutu South Zanu PF MP Paul Chimedza who had asked
what government was doing about its debts to health service providers,
during Wednesday’s question and answer time in the National Assembly.
The former deputy Health minister said: “People are now moving to India
because we are starving our own system with the money that we owe. When
are we going to settle the bill for Psmas so that we capacitate them to
pay service providers and then we bring our private health system up to
scratch?” Chimedza questioned, adding “…the minister should be at the
pulse of what is happening with this issue”.
“It should concern you and we need some sort of idea that this thing is on
the radar of both ministers and they are working on it,” he said.
In response, Mupfumira said Psmas was not the only service provider owed.
“We are aware of the current liquidity challenges and I am not here to say
it will be today or tomorrow,” Mupfumira said.
“I have other equally important issues which require the minister of
Finance …; hence I have said I will follow through to find out the
latest status on the issue.”
“My ministry is not responsible for remittance of payments to service
providers. I will follow up the issue with the minister of Finance .. to
find out what the latest status is on Psmas,” she added.
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