“AGP Limited, which imported 50,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine, has threatened to re-export the batch if their desired price is not set by the Pakistani government. The DRAP Committee (Pakistan Drug Administration) has recommended Rs 8,449 ($ 55) for two doses of the vaccine, which is unacceptable for an importer, ”a federal government spokesman told Geo.tv on condition of anonymity.
According to Geo.tv, the official claimed that during the “oral communication”, the importer threatened that they would be able to re-export it or sell it to any other country, if the appropriate rate, according to the government’s formula, is 40 percent.
“The Pakistani government is already being sharply criticized for the price recommended by the DRAP pricing committee of $ 55. It was calculated on the basis of the cost of 30 US dollars, but people compare it with the cost of the Russian vaccine in India and criticize the government for setting a higher price compared to the neighboring country, “the official added.
On the other hand, AGP Limited officials said they had the opportunity to “re-export” the consignment or sell it to any other country where they were “confident” they would get a much higher price in Pakistan, “Geo reported. tv
“The state price of Rs 8,449 is not available to us because, in addition to the cost, there is a distributor’s margin, storage and transportation costs, and hospitals and institutions will also charge for maintenance,” said a spokesman for AGP.
Earlier, the federal government asked the DRAP price committee to “review and re-evaluate” the maximum retail price (MRP) of doses of Sputnik V after AGP Limited expressed dissatisfaction with the price recommended by the regulator.
Officials have previously said that AGP requires a retail price of 12,500-13,000 rupees ($ 80-85) for two doses of the vaccine, depending on their shipping cost, transportation costs, refrigeration and other costs, according to Geo.tv.
To date, Pakistan has reported 633,741 cases. In the country, 13,935 people died from the infection.