Sejm backs PiS initiative of gradual increase in health funds tax to 9%

Yesterday the Sejm voted on an amendment to the act concerning the National Health Fund (NFZ). The vast majority of deputies decided to support the project presented by the Law and Justice party (PiS), which envisages a gradual increase of tax payments of 0.25% annually until 2007. Therefore the contribution for the NFZ will amount not to 8%, but 8.25% in 2004, to reach 9% in 2007. This means the National Health Fund will record an annual increase in revenues of zl. 1 billion. This will affect all tax payers, because the Sejm further decided that the total amount which can be deducted from income tax will be the current 7.75%. The only political party which objected to the amendment was the Civic Platform (PO). "Reaching into the tax payers pockets in such a way is a scandal," said PO Deputy Ewa Kopacz. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A1) A.K.