Executive Chairman of IIRS, Justice Okoye,FCA with visiting officials of Health Insurance Agency
The Executive Chairman of Imo State Internal Revenue Service (IIRS), Mr. Justice R. Okoye, FCA, has opened up on nature and critical importance of the activities of the Imo State Health Insurance Agency (IMSHIA).
Speaking during a meeting held between the Imo State Internal Revenue Service (IIRS), the Honourable Commissioner for Health, the Executive Secretary of the Imo State Health Insurance Agency (IMSHIA), and Heads of Department, Okoye commended the initiative and pledged to support IMSHIA by providing the necessary information and assistance.
He used the meeting to clarify that while the health insurance scheme is not a tax and would therefore not be collected by IIRS, it would be included as a mandatory requirement for audit eligibility and recognized as an allowable expenditure.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of IMSHIA, Mr. Ibeh Tochukwu, provided an overview of the Imo State Health Insurance Agency and its mandate. He explained that the health insurance scheme is designed to protect employers, employees, and organizations.
According to IMSHIA’s records, the scheme has successfully covered civil servants; however, a major challenge remains the inclusion of the informal and private sectors.
He emphasized the need to develop strategies to access and integrate these sectors. The purpose of the meeting, he noted, was to seek collaboration with IIRS in order to achieve wider reach and effective implementation of the health insurance scheme.
The Honourable Commissioner for Health endorsed the resolutions reached at the meeting and stressed the importance of public sensitization. She reiterated that IMSHIA would lead awareness efforts to ensure that citizens are adequately informed about the health insurance scheme, emphasizing the urgency of early engagement.
She further encouraged IMSHIA to provide IIRS with detailed information to enable them effectively respond to inquiries from the public.
The meeting concluded with the Executive Chairman of IIRS expressing appreciation to all participants and requesting a schedule for stakeholder engagement meetings, as well as a follow-up virtual meeting with IMSHIA to be held the following day.
