JOHANNESBURG - The Congress of South African Trade Unions has welcomed government’s drive to regulate private medical tariffs.

A draft framework, that will result in a set of regulations for prices charged by the private sector has been published by Trade, Industry & Competition Minister Parks Tau for public comment.

According to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi the private healthcare sector has, until 2006, colluded on the determination of price tariffs.

While this anti-competitive practice has formally been done away with, private medical prices remain a sore point.

The Health Market Inquiry, chaired by retired chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, has recommended that the Competition Commission must look at them.