Survey: Arben Vitita does not sign the contract with Pfizer and BioNtech, threatens the lives of thousands of Kosovars

Health Minister Arben Vitita is not pleased with the fact that his predecessor, Armend Zemaj, has negotiated the purchase of vaccines from the Pfizer and BioNtech company.

He is not completing the obligations stemming from negotiations so far.

Yesterday, April 15th, Minister Vitita has had to sign the contract with the American company, which would give a green light to the vaccine supply for Kosovo.

Insander has secured communications files and contracts that reveal the state's negligence to finalise the deal.

The Pfizer and BioNtech company had initially sought to change Administrative Guide, under which this company should have its representative in Kosovo.

The demand of these companies is specified in terms of contract binding:

“

With the new directive that former Prime Minister Armend Zemaj signed, companies in question have had the legal right to apply without authorized persons in Kosovo.

Article 15 of the new administrative directive allows the registration of vaccines according to Pfizer and BioNtech requirements. But this directive, which would pave the way for signing the contract, has not been published at all in the official Kosovo newspaper.

Administratorial management “Authoriisation for medical products”. Legally, this directive would have to go into effect seven days after signing by the former minister, Zemaj.

Health Ministry: We have no administrative problems

The newspaper Insander has contacted the Ministry of Health, led by Arben Vitita, where it has been asked why no contracts have been signed, for recording the vaccine, but the ministry has not answered the concrete question.

They have just said that: the ministry has established all capacities to administer in time the process of providing their vaccines and distribution”.

As long as at the point of connection with the contract, where the Administrative Guide is said to be changed, under which the Pfizer and BioNtech company should have its representative in Kosovo, which has not been done, the ministry is not seeing as a problem.

In response to Inseyder, the ministry has said that there is no problem with administrative procedures related to the import of vaccines.

“There are no problems in conducting any administrative procedure related to the import of anti-COVID-19 and furthermore, Kosovo will soon have the next vaccine agent to come to the vaccine under the State Taxation Plan. COVID-19”, the ministry's response to Inseder, said.

But emails provided by Insander prove otherwise. It's all done. All it takes is to sign the contract that Arben Vitita didn't do. This will have consequences as the supply can be extended by September.

Official communications between Kosovo, vaccine companies

In the communications and negotiations file between the Ministry of Health and producers of the anti-Cavid Phizer and BioNtch vaccine, including the contract offered by the American company with all conditions Kosovo must maintain.

Zemaj had announced the Pfizer company that since March 22nd they would have to contact, the new minister, Arben the Year, after forming the new government, where he would be authorised for procurement and negotiating vaccines.

“at the same time, I also request that my successor contact you immediately about continuing contact with our long-awaited vaccine”, says a paragraph of Zemaj's email sent to the company in question.

After this communication, the Pfizer Company's e-mail for the year has immediately announced the signing of the contract on April 15th.

There he sent a draft of the signature contract.

Please find attachment to a document related to the constitution (“Comirnaty's proposed purchase of Kosovo by Pfizer from Kosovo, HoTS”.

This agreement is valid for 15 (15) calendar days from the handover of this document to the Kosovo Ministry of Health (i.e. April 15, 2021). We will invite you to review the document and stay close to discuss it with you at your convenience”, says Pfizer's email sent to the Year.

And Minister Vitia has not returned e-mails to American producers. The result is the conduct of 500 thousand vaccines in Kosovo.

In the contract between the ministry and Pfizer and BioNtech, which has assured the Inseder that Kosovo will receive over 500 thousand doses of vaccines, unless Minister Vitita sign this contract.

The Interim Surrender programme, under the agreement, must initially get approval with the Constitution of the Final Agreement, envisions other actions of the state of Kosovo. It is held that by April 30th, 2021, it will register the product at the Kosovo Agency for International Products.

According to the contract the supply of 500 thousand doses of vaccines will take place in three stages:

Stage OneFifty thousand four hundred eighty (51,480) valued doses carried in the second quarter of 2021;

Stage Two: Two hundred twenty-five thousand eight hundred and ten (225,810) valued doses transported in the third quarter of 2021; and

Stage Three: Two hundred twenty-three thousand and four hundred seventy-seven thousand (223,470) valued doses transported in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Because the signature for the supply of these vaccine doses has not been made now, the supply is postponed until September 30th.

If approval with the constitution is taken after April 30, 2021, but before September 30th, 2021, then the Interim Surrender Programme will be shifted in line with the circumstances and arranged to reflect the delay between April 30th 2021 and the approval date with Condition”, it is said in terms of contract links.

Currently, Kosovo has accepted 24 thousand doses of vaccine against Covid-19 secured through Covax mechanisms that in Kosovo have reached through the organisation. U n NICEF.

It's about three weeks since the anti-inoculation started. COVID-19 in Kosovo, with 24 thousand doses of AstraZeneca vaccine that have been available so far, only 12,000 people have been vaccinated.