Malacañang clarified that the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines by the private sector will be subjected to a tripartite agreement.
Malacañang on Tuesday clarified that the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines by the private sector will be subjected to a tripartite agreement.
In a report on GMA News Online, Malacañang clarified that private firms will be required to enter into a tripartite agreement even after President Rodrigo Duterte allowed firms to purchase their own supply of COVID-19 vaccines.
At a news conference, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque clarified that the importation will be subjected to a tripartite agreement.
Roque also explained that the available COVID-19 vaccines were only issued an emergency use authorization (EUA), meaning these products can’t be commercially sold.
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Roque also said the Republic Act 11525 (COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act) mandated the national government to shoulder the cost of adverse effects and the said law also provided that private firms may procure COVID-19 vaccines through a tripartite agreement with the national government and COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers.
Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. also gave a similar explanation. According to Galvez, President Duterte’s directive was to speed up the process of procurement of COVID-19 vaccines.
“The directive of the President is to speed up the process [of procurement]. He said there should be no delay to avoid creating a perception that the government is controlling the procurement,” Galvez said.
READ ALSO: President Duterte Allows Private Sector To Import COVID-19 Vaccines “At Will”
Galvez also said that the vaccine procurement by the private sector will be tax-free and its vaccination drive must follow the national government’s prioritization framework.
President Duterte on Monday night said in a televised address that he had ordered Galvez to sign any and all documents that would allow the private sector to import COVID-19 vaccines “at will,” regardless of how many COVID-19 vaccine doses they wanted to procure.
Last week, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) asked the national government to allow private companies to import and procure their own COVID-19 vaccine doses without restrictions.
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