DUTY-FREE VACCINE SOUGHT

The duty-free entry of COVID-19 vaccines has been sought in the country as the budget of P72 billion may not be enough to result in herd immunity.

RadyoMan Manila reported the possibility of the import of COVID-19 vaccines sans the payment of customs duties and taxes with the filing in the House of Representatives of a Resolution for the move, aimed at helping out the government in its response to COVID-19 which has resulted in a contraction in the economy with hundreds of firms affected and employees losing their jobs.

RMN said that House deputy speaker Rufus Rodriguez filed House Resolution 1453 that seeks to exempt from customs duties and taxes the COVID-19 vaccines that the private sector are willing to import to take care of their own employees.

A companion House Bill 8301 has also been filed, according to RadioMan’s report, that would allow the private sector to buy COVID-19 vaccines and bring them into the country.

According to Rodriguez, the resolution is meant to boost the “right to health” of each and every Filipino as guaranteed in the Constitution. Many employees and their families are seen to benefit from the move, Rodriguez said.

RadyoMan Manila reported that the P72 million budget for COVID-19 vaccines is not enough to achieve herd immunity since only about 30 to 50 percent of Filipinos can vaccinated with the outlay.

To achieve herd immunity, about 70 to 80 percent of the 110 million Filipinos need to be vaccinated.

COVID-19 has upturned the business community with the banks provisioning for huge bad loans as businesses grapple with low sales and big losses as a result of the government response to COVID-19 of a lockdown.

The Department of Labor and Employment had already reported unemployment at a high 10 percent while the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has already infused P2 trillion into the system to respond to the economic malaise from the coronavirus.

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