Indonesia to Make $223.6 Million Down Payment for Covid-19 Vaccine

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Indonesian Government will make a partial upfront payment of 3.3 trillion rupiahs ($223.6 million) for the purchase of the Covid-19 vaccine.

“As [the Covid-19] vaccines are available, the down payment of 3.3 trillion rupiahs will be made,” Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said during a press conference of the Covid-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee on September 4.

Airlangga, who is also the chairman of the committee, said “the government has prepared a total fund of 37 trillion rupiahs ($2.5 billion) for the multi-year program plan.” 

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Indonesian vaccine manufacturer PT Bio Farma is currently conducting Phase 3 clinical trials in collaboration with China-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

It was reported that PT Bio Farma will receive 50 million doses of the Covid-19 bulk vaccine from Sinovac from November 2020 to March 2021.

PT Bio Farma, which receives 10 million doses of the bulk vaccine each month, will not only process and distribute the vaccines but will benefit from technology transfer.

Bio Farma will get priority for the bulk supply until the end of 2021.

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Besides Sinovac, Indonesia is also collaborating with Abu Dhabi-based G42 Healthcare to conduct clinical trials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Indonesia has sent a team to the UAE to monitor the clinical trials.

If all clinical trial process runs smoothly, Indonesia has set a target to undergo mass immunization programs in early 2021.

(Writer: Akhdi Martin Pratama | Editor: Bambang P. Jatmiko)

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2020/09/04/194129526/pemerintah-siapkan-rp-33-triliun-untuk-dp-pembelian-vaksin-covid-19.