“Reduction of the ceiling of 10,000 francs and the abolition of all ancillary costs, in-depth and exhaustive studies on the pricing of private schools, the regulation of the activity of private (paying) institutes in public universities and training schools professional and technical. These are, among others, the recommendations that were made in the final report on the consultations on the high cost of living by the School and University Fees Commission. Also in the health sector, measures such as “the strict application of inter-ministerial decree 738 of February 21, 2005 fixing the maximum and minimum values of hospitalization rates, consultations, external care”, have been recommended.
Par Dieynaba Kane – Measures to reduce school and university fees have been proposed by the commission in charge of this issue as part of the consultations on the high cost of living in Senegal. In the report, it is noted that the actors, made up of representatives of parents of pupils (Unapecs), of the administration (Men, Mesri, Mfb, Mccpme), representatives of employers, consumer associations, have asked the “revision of decree no. 43-77 in the direction of a reduction of the ceiling of 10,000 francs and the abolition of all incidental costs, in-depth and exhaustive studies on the pricing of private schools, the regulation of the activity of private (paying) institutes in public universities and vocational and technical training schools, and if there is a legal basis, we should move towards a reduction in fees”. The said commission also recommended taking measures to “regulate the sector of school supplies”. It is also advisable to move towards “facilitating the printing of textbooks by Imprimen, in order to relieve parents”. Under the recommendations, the actors of this commission advise “contracting with private schools”. They mean by this, the “provision by the State, of teachers to private schools and the provision of textbooks for private students”. In the same dynamic, it is suggested to “proceed with a reduction on a case-by-case basis”, because “there are opportunistic costs (workshops, compulsory reinforcement courses)”. Still concerning private education, it is requested “the allocation of a school bonus to private schools, exemption from VAT (on all school inputs and materials, on the rent of private schools, etc.), the reduction in the rent of private schools, the increase in the subsidy for private schools”. The commission also recommended “granting the benefit of the exam bonus to authorized and as yet unrecognized schools and the repayment of the debt of private higher education establishments”. The actors, who plead for the restoration of school canteens, want private schools to be included. The health sector, whose prices for care and pharmaceutical products are constantly rising, has also been scrutinized. Thus, the Health Commission has proposed measures and recommendations with a view to reducing costs. In the final report, the stakeholders advised “the strict application of the interministerial decree 738 of February 21, 2005 fixing the maximum and minimum values of the tariffs of hospitalization, consultations, external care and transfers applicable to public establishments health”. Similarly, it is recommended “the strict application of interministerial decree 2632 of April 19, 2002 setting the tariffs of medical fees applicable to Ipm, the strict application of interministerial decree no188MSHP/ Dmp of January 15, 2003 setting the calculation of the selling price to the public of medicines, products and objects included in the pharmaceutical monopoly”. In addition, the actors also pleaded for the “revitalization of the Commission for the approval of medical fees and the setting of prices for private clinics and medical practices, the display of the prices of drugs and medical services in a visible and legible manner in all establishments providing care, the appropriation by consumers of the real level of prices for systematic monitoring”.
With regard to structural measures, the commission asked to integrate “laboratory equipment and consumables in the same customs nomenclature as medical equipment and consumables, exemption from VAT on investments over five years”. It is also requested “support from the State for tax relief in private clinics and medical practices, reimbursement of the VAT borne on intermediate consumption, on the cost of energy and reagents, equipment and consumables of laboratory, exemption from the local economic contribution, exemption from VAT on packaging”. In their recommendations, the members of the Health Commission also advised studying “with Customs, the possibility of reviewing the taxation applied to pharmaceutical products classified in tariff headings 20-06 and 29-36, for greater financial accessibility. for the benefit of the populations (impact on prices, in particular public prices in pharmacies, with considerable price increases of around 30 to 40%)”. In this same dynamic, they recommended the “50% reduction in corporate tax”.
The government, which is committed to fighting once morest the high cost of living, launched the consultations on September 30. It is within this framework that various commissions have been set up to find solutions to issues related, among other things, to rent, health and education. The final report of these consultations was published yesterday, it remains to be seen whether the recommendations and measures will be applied by the authorities.
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