Travelers must pay cost of COVID-19 test themselves, insists Nigeria government


Devdiscourse News Desk | Abuja | Updated: 18-09-2020 11:26 IST | Created: 18-09-2020 11:26 IST
Travelers must pay cost of COVID-19 test themselves, insists Nigeria government
Representative Image Image Credit: ANI
  • Country:
  • Nigeria

The government of Nigeria has said that it is the responsibility of Nigerians traveling abroad to pay for the cost of the COVID-19 test as specified by several countries, according to a news report by This Day.

The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha made the clarification yesterday when the task force addressed the media.

Although the matter is already before the Senate Joint Committee, Mustapha admitted that it would be out of place to use public funds to conduct a COVID-19 test for travelers as such is not provided in the 2020 budget.

Mustapha, who is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, estimated the figures of persons that travel out of the country at about six million yearly.

He also stated that it costs the country at N13 billion to obtain one million test kits.

"If you calculate that money, it is a huge amount of money and it is a matter of balance. Do we want to pass this huge expense to the public purses? Travels are leisure and private; we must share the responsibility as it is the common global practice. I don't think the commonwealth of Nigeria should be used for that purpose.

"If you go to the UK today and you want a test, you will pay for it. It is for 250 pounds. It is USD 360 in Iceland; USD 206 in Austria and USD 165 in Cambodia. Several countries have set their own requirements for tests. What is provided in the budget is what will be used for the National Response. The Senate Joint Committee appreciates that and said they will engage with the ministries and the FCTA to see how they can provide responses in the 2021 budget," Mustapha said.

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