Accra, July 29, GNA- Speakers at a day's seminar on the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) on Wednesday underscored the need for Ghanaians to give the scheme their fullest support to ensure its smooth take-off.

The speakers from the Valued Added Tax (VAT) Service were of the consensus that the scheme would ensure that Ghanaians had equitable access to quality healthcare.

The seminar was organised by the Service for members of the Judicial Service to solicit their support and co-operation towards the enforcement of relevant provisions of the law setting up the scheme. The speakers were of the view that with the smooth take-off of the scheme on Sunday, August 1, 2004, the establishment of commercial courts would ensure that registered traders complied with the law.

Explaining why the VAT Service had been mandated by the Ministry of Finance to collect the NHIL, the speakers stated that the Service had a "proven established mechanism" for the collection of taxes on goods and services with which traders were already familiar.

They hinted that a total of 370 billion cedis was expected to be collected by the VAT Service in the next five months from August to December this year.

The VAT officials who spoke at the seminar were Mr J F Odartey Blankson, Commissioner, Mr Eric Norgbey, Deputy Commissioner, and Mr Cephas Odartey Lamptey, Legal Officer.