BD to get money back, if no SII vaccine: Kamal

Bangladesh will get its money back, if Serum Institute of India (SII) finally fails to supply vaccines as per contract, Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal said on Wednesday.
"Definitely we will get the money back, if vaccines do not come," he told newsmen after a virtual meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase.
The government paid some Tk 13 billion as advance to get AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccines from SII. Under a contract - signed in last December, the Indian company was supposed to provide a total of 30 million jabs.
Of the total, some five million vaccines were supposed to come every month. However, so far the country has received a total of seven million jabs in two instalments, and some 3.3 million jabs as Indian central government's gift to Bangladesh.
As the pandemic situation worsened in India, the government suspended vaccine export in late March; and thus SII stopped supplying jabs to Bangladesh.
After that vaccine stock dried up in Bangladesh, which forced the government to look for alternative sources. Talks are now underway to import and locally produce Russia's Sputnik V vaccine and one developed by China's Sinopharm.
Mr Kamal opined that the government is not yet finally sure that vaccine would not come from India. "We are still communicating with them."
Replying to a query he said no country "embezzles" money of another country by this way.
"We have handled the issue with legal documentation. It is not a verbal matter. Both of us have contractual obligation."
"Their (SII) contractual obligation is to supply us vaccine. We are trying to get it," he noted.
Asked whether there is any provision in the deal regarding claiming compensation from Serum Institute for failing to supply vaccine in time, the minister could not confirm it immediately.
"But, all the conditions are kept in this deal, which usually remain in an international contract."
Asked how long Bangladesh will wait to get vaccines from SII before claiming the money back, Mr Kamal suggested newsmen to get the reply from the health minister, who has more knowledge on these matters.
The cabinet committee meeting on the day turned down five project proposals of the Public Works Department (PWD) due to lack of required time for their implementation in the current fiscal year.
"We have decided that the ongoing projects of PWD, the variation proposals, and the foreign-funded projects will continue, whereas no new project will be considered until June 30," said Mr Kamal.
The Ministry of Finance issued a notification last week, stating that from now on no new projects of PWD will get approval in the current fiscal.
Meanwhile, the meeting approved import of 50,000 tonnes of non-aromatic rice from Soubhik Exports Limited, India at a cost of Tk 1.636 billion, to be carried by train. Per tonne of rice will cost US$ 386.
The import of 3.36 million MMBTu liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Excelerate Energy LP, the US at a cost of Tk 3.182 billion also got approval. Each unit of LNG will cost $9.53.
The committee approved another proposal for importing liquefied LNG from Excelerate Energy LP at a cost of Tk 2.982 billion. Each unit of LNG in this proposal will cost the exchequer $8.93.
Moreover, bids to import 180,000 tonnes of muriate of potash (MOP) fertiliser from Belarus at a cost of Tk 4.478 billion and 150,000 tonnes of triple super phosphate (TSP) fertiliser from Tunisia at a cost of Tk 7.237 billion, and buying 30,000 tonnes of bagged granular urea fertiliser from Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited at a cost of Tk 923.83 million also got approval.

syful-islam@outlook.com