Government announces reductions to cancer drugs, treatments

The government on Tuesday announced plans to reduce the value-added tax on medicines and treatments used to fight cancer.

The changes have been submitted to Parliament in the form of a legal amendment by the Finance Ministry, in coordination with the Health Ministry, spokesman Stelios Petsas told a weekly press briefing in Athens.

According to the legislation, VAT will be reduced to 6 percent on related goods and services from their current level of 24 and 13 percent respectively.

The move is expected to significantly lower the cost of treatments like systemic radiation therapy, as well as drugs used in chemotherapy, Petsas said.