Outpatient services at private hospitals to be exempted from VAT

by Rukshana Rizwie

Deputy Minister of Public Enterprise Development Eran Wickramaratne told the Sunday Observer that outpatient services such as channeling, tests, critical medical care including dialysis treatment would no longer be subject to the 15% VAT.

"We have been thinking of exempting the health sector because we realized that even when patients seek treatments at government hospital, they are often referred to private institutions for various tests," he said.

"We have decided to exempt outpatient services such as channeling fees, tests and crucial medical care such as dialysis." "However, if someone is seeking in-house treatment at a private hospital, they are liable to pay 15% VAT for those services.