The Government’s General Practitioner (GP) Scheme will remain in place despite the removal of its dedicated 0.5 per cent levy allocation, with existing funds expected to keep the program running for at least another two years.
Permanent secretary for Finance Shiri Gounder made the clarification during a press conference last Friday, saying changes to the National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) levy were aimed at supporting other priority areas while preserving the GP Scheme.
“Just on the GP scheme, the recalibration that we have done is 0.5 per cent, will now go for training, and there’s a 0.1 per cent that will go for public sector training through the government’s training school,” Mr Gounder said.
“So, 0.6 per cent is now set aside for training. 0.4 per cent will be for accident compensation.
“Prior to this, 0.5 per cent was for the GP scheme. So, we have removed that 0.5 per cent.”
He said the scheme had accumulated sufficient funds over recent years to continue operating without interruption.
“However, the GP Scheme still continues, because there’s funding that we have accumulated over the last few years, which is around $10 million, and which can easily cater for us for the next at least two years.
“In the interim, government will basically have to make a decision, where do we get more money to fund the GP Scheme?
“And that can easily be funded from the national budget moving forward after two years, once this is depleted, or government can think about streamlining it.”
Mr Gounder stressed that members of the public should not interpret the levy change as the end of the program.
“So, just to clarify, the GP Scheme is not going away. The GP Scheme is still there. It will be funded from the balance that we have in the trust fund.
“However, the 0.5 per cent from the NTPC levy that was going to the GP scheme has been removed.”
