Welcome changes in VAT and corporation tax

Dear Editor,
The Private Sector in healthcare welcomes the recent changes in VAT and corporation tax. This effort by the Government, to reduce the tax burden, serves to acknowledge the importance of the Private Sector in job creation, and in providing options to the section of its population that choose to use the services that the Private Sector provides. These tax initiatives will provide a much-needed impetus to the private healthcare providers, to retool and provide a wider range of services to the Guyanese populace, at affordable prices.
The private healthcare sector should be seen as a useful adjunct to the services provided by the Ministry of Health, and not as a competitor as it has been viewed in the past. Even highly developed economies do not attempt to provide all healthcare services through the public sector.
We hope meaningful public-private partnerships in the healthcare sector will be prioritised by this Government, and we envisage that this will be the next big step towards strengthening the healthcare sector in Guyana.

Yours sincerely,
Dr Madhu P Singh,
MD
CEO, Dr Balwant
Singh’s Hospital Inc