Proposal for tax-free import of COVID-19 vaccine backed

MANILA, Philippines — A congresswoman yesterday supported a call to allow private companies to import tax-free doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for their employees’ use.

House health committee chair Helen Tan said the proposal of transmission network operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) will benefit Filipinos.

“I fully support such move of allowing the private sector to import COVID-19 vaccine tax free. This will not only contribute to the efforts of the government in making these vaccines accessible but more importantly, affordable,” the Quezon congresswoman said in a text message to The STAR.

In the same light, Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas backed the proposal to allow local government units to procure the vaccines on their own and unburden the national government.

“I hope the national government will decentralize the procurement and vaccination process to ensure a speedy and efficient rollout, especially as some of our LGUs have expressed their readiness and have set aside their own funds for their constituents,” Vargas said.

He explained that by allowing LGUs with the capacity to pay for their own vaccines, the national government can focus on other priority areas, such as inoculating frontline workers and localities that have lower income.

The Quezon City government is looking to spend P1 billion on COVID vaccines, according to Joseph Juico, co-chair of the city’s COVID-19 Task Force.

The cities of Manila, Davao and Iligan, among others, have also said they have set aside funds for purchasing vaccines.

Congress has allocated P72.5 billion in funds for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines under the 2021 national budget that President Duterte is expected to sign on Monday.

The government is targeting to inoculate 60 million or about 55 percent of the population to achieve immunity from the virus.

NGCP president and chief executive Anthony Almeda earlier appealed for Congress to allow private firms to import vaccines and enable businesses to give the economy a much-needed boost in activity.

“With a vaccination program in place for the private sector, more businesses and industries will be able to regain some semblance of normal activity, bounce back, and put the economy on its way to recovery after almost a year of slowdown,” Almeda said in a statement.

NGCP, with a 5,000-strong workforce, continues to monitor the progress and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in other countries.

“Vaccination, as well as mass testing, is focally critical in the fight against COVID-19. We need to prevent, detect, isolate, and treat. We need to jumpstart the economy now, but we need to ensure that we stack the odds against infections in the workplace,” Almeda said.

Meantime, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers described Health Secretary Francisco Duque III as “grossly insensitive” over the Department of Health’s inaction on the early procurement of supposed early supply of the Pfizer-made COVID-19 vaccine.

“I believe his inaction showed gross insensitivity toward the Filipinos who have been afflicted with COVID-19 as well as the relatives of nearly 9,000 who have died from the disease,” Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs, stressed.

“It was known for months that the Pfizer vaccine was among the most promising vaccines in development due to its high efficacy rate based on phase 3 trials. For me, this is enough reason to prioritize the procurement of local supply,” the Mindanaoan congressman said.

“Duque has invoked prudence and cautiousness? I also find it ironic and hard to stomach,” Barbers said.

“How can he say that when he was not even prudent and cautious enough to spot and stop the shenanigans over at Philippine Health Insurance Corporation?” he asked in reference to the alleged “mafia” operating in the state-run health insurance firm in the past months. – Delon Porcalla