Opposition MP Harsha De Silva stated today (01) that despite the Sri Lankan Government’s claims that Bangladesh did not purchase the Sinopharm vaccine at US$10 per dose, a national Bangladeshi newspaper says otherwise.
The MP expressed these statements in a tweet from his official account today (01).
The newspaper concerned is the Daily Prothom Alo, the largest circulated newspaper in Bangladesh. De Silva stated that according to an article published by this paper, the Bangladeshi Cabinet approved a purchase of 15 million Sinopharm doses at US$10 on 19 May 2021.
“Why is Sri Lanka paying US$15 per dose for 14m doses?,” he asked, adding that Sri Lanka is paying LKR14 Billion more to procure Sinopharm vaccines.
This comes after State Minister of the Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana, in a Facebook post, denied allegations of a fraud in Sri Lanka purchasing the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine for US$ 15 when Bangladesh had bought the same for U$ 10.
The State Minister also claimed that the Chinese Embassy in Colombo and the Beijing-based Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., which manufactures Sinopharm, have informed him that there is no agreement to provide the Sinopharm vaccine to Bangladesh for US$ 10. He further noted in the said Facebook post that its price is still under discussion.
He claimed that the Chinese Embassy in Colombo and the Beijing-based Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., which manufactures Sinopharm, have informed him that there is no agreement to provide the Sinopharm vaccine to Bangladesh for $ 10. He further noted in the said Facebook post that its price is still under discussion.
The newspaper concerned is the Daily Prothom Alo, the largest circulated newspaper in Bangladesh. De Silva stated that according to an article published by this paper, the Bangladeshi Cabinet approved a purchase of 15 million Sinopharm doses at US$10 on 19 May 2021.
“Why is Sri Lanka paying US$15 per dose for 14m doses?,” he asked, adding that Sri Lanka is paying LKR14 Billion more to procure Sinopharm vaccines.
This comes after State Minister of the Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana, in a Facebook post, denied allegations of a fraud in Sri Lanka purchasing the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine for US$ 15 when Bangladesh had bought the same for U$ 10.
The State Minister also claimed that the Chinese Embassy in Colombo and the Beijing-based Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., which manufactures Sinopharm, have informed him that there is no agreement to provide the Sinopharm vaccine to Bangladesh for US$ 10. He further noted in the said Facebook post that its price is still under discussion.
He claimed that the Chinese Embassy in Colombo and the Beijing-based Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., which manufactures Sinopharm, have informed him that there is no agreement to provide the Sinopharm vaccine to Bangladesh for $ 10. He further noted in the said Facebook post that its price is still under discussion.