brand logo

‘We buy Sinopharm for $ 15, Bangladesh for only $ 10’

31 May 2021

  • Sajith claims price difference due to personal profiteering

By Buddhika Samaraweera   Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has alleged that the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine imported to Sri Lanka costs $ 15, approximately Rs. 3,000, per dose, but that Bangladesh purchases the same vaccine for $ 10, approximately Rs. 2,000, per dose. He said in a statement yesterday (30) that cabinet approval had been obtained to import 14 million vaccines. Accordingly, the total cost, if a single dose is priced at $ 15, is $ 210 million (Rs. 42,420 million). But the cost of 14 million doses of vaccines is only $ 140 million, when considering the price at which Bangladesh purchases the vaccine, the statement issued by the Opposition Leader stated. "Accordingly, the Government should reveal to the country what happened to the remaining $ 70 million (Rs. 14,140 million)," Premadasa said in the statement and claimed that the Government has made the vaccination a way of profiteering. However, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka on 29 May tweeted about recent speculation circulating on social media that Bangladesh purchases the Sinopharm vaccine for less than the amount Sri Lanka does. In the Twitter message, The Embassy said: "We checked with the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka as well as the Sinopharm Group. Bangladeshi Health Minister has clarified that their procurement agreement including the price is not yet finalised." It was also mentioned in the Twitter message issued by the Embassy that the fake news spread on social media had already disrupted the ongoing negotiations in Bangladesh. The Embassy, in another Twitter message, stated it is a common practice for there to be different price ranges for all the pharma companies and that the vaccine is being provided to Sri Lanka at the best corporate price with fastest delivery. Meanwhile, Government sources told The Morning that the price of the vaccine was negotiated by a high-level pricing committee. They added that cabinet approval has been granted to purchase the vaccine at current prices. Several attempts to contact President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Chief Advisor, who is entrusted with the duty of co-ordinating the process of importing vaccines against Covid-19, Lalith Weeratunga; State Minister of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana; and State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) Chairman Dr. Prasanna Gunasena to inquire about this proved futile.


More News..