Namibia weighs introducing levy on air fares

GOVERNMENT is mulling introducing a levy on air fares – similar to one in France – to contribute to an international fund for cheaper purchasing of medicines against HIV-AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis for countries hit hard by these diseases.

A workshop yesterday brought together officials from the Ministries of Finance and Tourism and the French Embassy to discuss the issue, which several countries have implemented since September 2006. “Namibia is part of this initiative, which was discussed at a conference in Paris, France, in 2005 and from there a Leading Group (LG) of countries was established, of which Namibia is a member,” Finance Minster Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said at the opening of the workshop.”The LG met in February this year and signed an adhesion agreement committing us to introduce some form of solidarity levy to support UNITAID, the international drug purchasing facility, which was launched at the UN General Assembly in September 2006.”According to the Minister, the prevalence of HIV-AIDS, malaria and TB in Namibia made it difficult for the country to reach its Vision 2030 national development programme and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which member countries of the United Nations intend to reach by 2015.According to Yann Wang, Charge d’Affaires of the French Embassy in Windhoek, the MDGs would not be reached unless innovative funding mechanisms were found.”Each year we record a U$50 billion gap to achieve that goal.This must be corrected,” Wang said.According to Veronique Aulagnon of the French Foreign Ministry in Paris, a levy on air tickets is easy to implement.France charges one euro for economy-class flights within Europe and four euros for international flights.Business-class passengers pay 10 and 40 euros respectively.”During the first 11 months of its existence, UNITAID received some U$300 million from the 13 countries who have implemented an air ticket levy,” Aulagnon said.Another 15 countries are in the implementation stage.Medicines can be bought for up to 40 per cent cheaper through the fund.”Namibia is part of this initiative, which was discussed at a conference in Paris, France, in 2005 and from there a Leading Group (LG) of countries was established, of which Namibia is a member,” Finance Minster Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said at the opening of the workshop.”The LG met in February this year and signed an adhesion agreement committing us to introduce some form of solidarity levy to support UNITAID, the international drug purchasing facility, which was launched at the UN General Assembly in September 2006.”According to the Minister, the prevalence of HIV-AIDS, malaria and TB in Namibia made it difficult for the country to reach its Vision 2030 national development programme and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which member countries of the United Nations intend to reach by 2015.According to Yann Wang, Charge d’Affaires of the French Embassy in Windhoek, the MDGs would not be reached unless innovative funding mechanisms were found. “Each year we record a U$50 billion gap to achieve that goal.This must be corrected,” Wang said.According to Veronique Aulagnon of the French Foreign Ministry in Paris, a levy on air tickets is easy to implement.France charges one euro for economy-class flights within Europe and four euros for international flights.Business-class passengers pay 10 and 40 euros respectively.”During the first 11 months of its existence, UNITAID received some U$300 million from the 13 countries who have implemented an air ticket levy,” Aulagnon said.Another 15 countries are in the implementation stage.Medicines can be bought for up to 40 per cent cheaper through the fund.