Can the Health Ministry disclose vaccine costs despite NDAs?

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Health Ministry May Disclose Vaccine Costs Despite Non-Disclosure Agreements

The Health Ministry may be able to disclose the financial cost of expired Covid-19 vaccines, even with existing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in place, according to a DAP lawmaker. These agreements, as understood by the former Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), primarily restrict the disclosure of the per-dose sale price of vaccines, rather than a comprehensive sum of all vaccine doses purchased or their eventual financial loss due to expiry.
Concerns Over Vaccine Expiry and Financial Loss

As of February 28, a significant quantity of Covid-19 vaccines, totalling 2,796,638 doses across various brands, had expired within Ministry of Health (MOH) facilities and storage warehouses. This figure represents 3.27% of the total vaccine doses received by the government, a total that includes donated supplies. The expiry of such a large number of doses raises questions about the financial implications for the ministry.
Interpretation of Non-Disclosure Agreements

Wong Kah Woh, the Member of Parliament for Taiping and former PAC chairman, articulated that the NDA, as reviewed by the PAC, specifically bound the disclosure of the sale price per individual vaccine dose. He argued that disclosing a collective sum or the financial loss from expired vaccines would not necessarily contravene the terms of these agreements. This suggests a potential loophole or a specific interpretation of the NDA that could allow for greater transparency regarding vaccine costs and wastage.
Call for Transparency on Vaccine Acquisition

The lawmaker urged the Health Minister, Dr Zaliha Mustafa, to be more forthcoming with information regarding vaccine costs and acquisition processes. He expressed dissatisfaction with the ministry's tendency to use NDAs as a shield against providing concrete financial figures. The call for transparency is rooted in the principle that public funds are involved, and therefore, citizens and their representatives should have access to relevant financial details, especially concerning expired public assets.

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Can the Health Ministry disclose vaccine costs despite NDAs?

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