Mboweni is perhaps the most vocal member of Cabinet where it comes to responsible spending and good governance, warning on numerous occasions that government had to significantly rein in spending.
The indemnification of pharmaceutical companies against “serious adverse events” during the vaccination process is internationally regarded as a vital precursor to the widespread roll-out of vaccines and forms part of all the current existing contracts.
Normally, pharmaceutical companies can insure against the risk of some of its vaccines causing harm which typically happens in a minuscule proportion of cases. But the astronomical size of the Coronavirus vaccine roll-out means even this tiny risk could turn into a huge financial risk to the producers of vaccines.
Consequently, governments which have already signed contracts with vaccine producers normally include a clause indemnifying the producers and try hard to find workarounds to ensure that the world can effectively start combatting the virus outbreak.
National Treasury is convinced that SA’s Covid-19 vaccine acquisition strategy won’t feature corruption elements and middlemen unlawfully profiteering from this process – as was seen in the emergency procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) that has become a cadres’ feast.
The process of securing Covid-19 vaccines for frontline health workers and the wider public is being done on an urgent and expedited basis by the government, with normal bidding and procurement processes falling away.
The relaxation of procurement rules during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic to allow national departments, provinces and municipalities to procure PPE and other goods on an emergency basis opened the floodgates for corruption involving politically connected individuals.
Ramaphosa: Govt may need to increase debt to get Covid-19 vaccines zimbabwestar.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from zimbabwestar.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.