■ Govt may waive import duty on foreign vaccine
NEW DELHI: India will waive its 10 per cent customs duty on imported COVID-19 vaccines, a senior government official told Reuters on Monday, as it tries to boost supplies to counter a dramatic surge in COVID cases.
India will waive its 10 per cent customs duty on imported COVID-19 vaccines, a senior government official told Reuters, as it tries to boost supplies to counter a dramatic surge in coronavirus cases. Imports of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine are due to arrive soon and the government has also urged Pfizer (PFE.N), Moderna (MRNA.O) and Johnson and Johnson (JNJ.N) to sell their products to India.
The official, who declined to be named, also said the government was considering allowing private entities to import approved vaccines for sale on the open market without government intervention. They could also be given the freedom to set pricing. The Indian government currently regulates the sale and purchase of all COVID-19 shots in the country. A finance ministry spokesman did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment outside business hours.
Other South Asian countries, including Nepal and Pakistan, as well as Latin American nations such as Argentina and Brazil levy vaccine import tariffs ranging between 10% and 20 per cent.
New COVID-19 infections and deaths in India have jumped by record numbers for days, with hospitals running short of beds, oxygen and key medicines.
The government has now decided to open vaccinations for all adults from May 1.