STOP THE ROBBERY OF PUBLIC MONEY
Request contract renegotiation for COVID 19 vaccines
Minister,
Governmental institutions' transparency regarding how public money is spent is a crucial foundation of a functioning democratic society that operates for the benefit of its citizens. This transparency includes not only the correct information provided to taxpayers, but also a method for any irregularities or mistakes to be recognized, investigated, and sanctioned consequently.
We believe that the Romanian government is obligated not only to ensure effective use of public finances and accurate information about this normal process, but also to respond immediately and transparently in any circumstance that raises suspicions. In the current case, despite the fact that information on the questionable manner in which millions of doses of vaccine were used or not has been widely publicized for a long time, the state's response has been inversely proportional to the gravity of the facts, characterized by slowness and inefficiency.
The exceedingly problematic issue with vaccine acquisitions emphasized by the government document released in press by the government demonstrates the utter futility of these purchases (eight out of ten doses of vaccine to be paid by Romania are either unused - are in stock or will be delivered or expired, some were donated and some were resold). The majority of vaccine doses (47,912,039 doses) have yet to arrive in Romania, as vaccination clinics are closing due to a decrease in the number of Romanians that want to get vaccinated. Official statistics suggest that Romanians are no longer immunized.
At the current rate of vaccination, it would take approximately 65 years to use the vaccine doses that will arrive in Romania, not including the doses already in stock - 65 years if they did not expire.
Romania has irrationally ordered countless vaccines and ended up selling and donating more vaccines than any other country in Europe: not for humanitarian reasons, but because they would have expired otherwise (as for example, in April 2022 alone, about 2 million doses expired, which the national authorities had to throw away).
Minister,
Stop the robbery of public money! Demand pharmaceutical companies to RENEGOTIATE THEIR CONTRACTS TO STOP SUPPLY, not simply postpone them, or order a reasonable number of doses. It's not too late! This is especially true given that the European method does not mandate a certain number of vaccines, but rather limits the number that a state can purchase in proportion to its population.
Follow Poland's lead and tell the European Commission that Romania will no longer buy or pay for millions of unneeded vaccinations given under the EU-co-negotiated supply contract!
Postponing the supply of the 9 million doses of COVID vaccine that were due to arrive in Romania in April, May, and June does not fix the problem because they have been rescheduled for the following months.
Thus, throughout the summer months, Romania will get no less than 11 million doses, most of which will be useless given the rapid decline in immunization rates. Why do we create an even greater gap in the state's budget?
Simultaneously, rescheduling shipments is not an option because, according to the terms and conditions stated in the Addendum to the Order Form recently negotiated by the Romanian Government, they must be ordered firmly, within the established dates, on time, and paid in advance. Otherwise, under the present situation, they are irreversibly lost and must be reimbursed.
You cannot deny and ignore the facts that just for the 2020-2021 contract, Romania has unpaid bills of 117 MILLION EUROS.
Official figures reveal that there are still 7 million doses in stock, and contracts for additional 50 million doses have been signed for this year and 2023.
Romania still owes 117 million euros for unpaid Covid vaccine doses as of 2021. Furthermore, it must pay no less than 400 million euros for the 50 million already contracted doses of 2022-2023 (the value of the remaining doses to be delivered).
In the current economic situation, these figures for Romania are equivalent to bankruptcy!
FACIAS, according to its statutory purpose, but also through its constant activity over the past 14 years, defends the rights of citizens and seeks to ensure transparency in the functioning of state institutions as a principle of democracy and the rule of law.
We are members of CIVICUS (World Alliance for Citizen Participation), FRA (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights) and the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA).
THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEFENSE OF CITIZENS AGAINST STATE ABUSES