ON March 18, the Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced to increase the budget for National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) from RM3 billion to RM5 billion and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz subsequently announced that the fund will come from Kumpulan Wang Amanah Negara (KWAN).
PICK coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin on April 27 gave a breakdown on how the RM5 billion will be spent, of which RM3.5 billion on procurement of vaccines and RM1.5 billion for the supporting administrative expenses.
Yesterday Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali announced Program Imunisasi Industri Covid-19 Kerjasama Awam-Swasta (Pikas) for Phase 4, of which the administrative cost per vaccine dose for each worker is RM45 if it is done at the PPVs while on-site vaccination cost is estimated at more than RM15 plus venue cost, all to be paid by employers.
The RM5 billion budget was announced by the prime minister to support all expenses to reach herd immunity by year end. However, as Phase 4 starts, employers are asked to pay for the vaccination administration fees.
While many employers may not mind footing the bill, as long as it ensures faster opening of operation for them. What about those who can’t afford as their businesses are badly hit by Covid-19?
Most importantly, does that mean that PICK is now spending above the budgeted RM5 billion?
Otherwise, vaccine and vaccination administration fees should have been budgeted at RM3.5 billion and RM1.5 billion respectively and come free for everyone. To ensure full transparency, the government should publish the spending report since the beginning of PICK.
In addition, as the government is now moving towards vaccinating economic frontliners, there must be a fair evaluation of who are considered economic frontliners and who get prioritised.
I call upon the government not to neglect the hawkers, small traders, small service providers such as hairdressers as economic frontliners. In my dialogues with hawkers and market traders in Bakri constituency, most of them were concerned about the high infection but still have to go to open stalls whenever they can, because to them no work means no income.
Government must make sure that the economic frontliner vaccination programme does not further exacerbate the gap between the haves and the have-nots during the pandemic. – The Vibes, June 13, 2021
Yeo Bee Yin is the MP for Bakri
