Band 7+: Some people say that when deciding how taxes should be spent, the government should prioritize health care. Others think that there are more important priorities for tax-payers' money. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Opinions are divided on whether healthcare expenditure should be prioritized when governments decide to allocate taxes or other pressing areas deserving of taxpayers’ funds. While spending taxes on improving the healthcare system is beneficial to some extent, I firmly believe that allocating taxes to other fields such as environment and education is far more desirable.

On the one hand, there are compelling reasons as to why healthcare service should be one of the top priorities. With the massive appearance of different diseases recently, it would be costly to supply vacancies, medicines, or treatments due to the high population density. Take the COVID-19 pandemic as a typical example, without financial support from the government and the tax system, making a dose of vaccine would impose a financial burden on hospitals or health organizations. Moreover, utilizing tax for improving health services purposes can also facilitate citizens to have better living conditions by having regular check-ups for the elderly or acquiring modern medical facilities to cope with incurable diseases. Once public health is improved, it will contribute to several positive outcomes including societal stability, and a healthy lifestyle.

On the other hand, governments should also consider other sectors such as the environment and education as the precedence. First and foremost, the environment has an inextricable link to people’s health, therefore the more governmental budget is given to environmental protection like preventing air and water pollution, or afforestation, the healthier living atmosphere is maintained. Furthermore, education, which plays a vital role in every country, should also receive investment from tax. Indeed, education is fundamental to social progress and economic prosperity. If the governments allocate educational systems to build schools, improve lectures, or enhance teaching skills, they can benefit from skillful human resources for long-term development.

In conclusion, although using tax-payers’ money to improve the healthcare system is advantageous, tax revenue should also be distributed to the environment and education to foster the comprehensive development of a country.