There will be no ‘middlemen’ in the Covid-19 vaccine supply chain, govt promises

KUALA LUMPUR: There will be no “middleman deals” with regard to the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines for the country, the Finance Minister has promised.

"We will only negotiate directly with the vaccine suppliers without the use of middleman," Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz (pic) said when wrapping up replies on debates on the Temporary Measures for Government Financing (Corona Disease (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2020 in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Dec 17).

He said that RM3bil has been allocated for the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines, while an additional RM2bil will be for health items and frontliners in their fight against the pandemic.

Earlier, Zafrul informed the House that RM38bil out of RM45-bil Covid-19 Fund has so far been spent for 31 initiatives.

The RM45bil fund was approved by Parliament in August.

The Temporary Measures for Government Financing (Corona Disease (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2020 was passed with an additional RM20bil allocated for the Covid-19 Fund.