Finance Ministry appropriates Rs 1bn to procure the vaccines
KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 17
Government of Nepal has opened the way to bring in 2 million additional doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
A meeting of the Council of Ministers, on Tuesday, decided to purchase the additional doses from Serum Institute of India. The Cabinet has decided to make advance payment for the same.
Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry has appropriated Rs 1 billion for the procurement of the same.
Prior to this, the government had already determined to bring in 2 million doses of the vaccine. Now, with the Cabinet's decision, the process for the same would be initiated.
The payment would be made through Nepal Rastra Bank at the rate of US dollars 4 per dose.
This batch of the vaccine, to be brought from India, would be administered on senior citizens. The vaccines are expected to arrive end of February or the beginning of March.
Earlier, the government of India, through its Vaccine Maitri programme, had sent 1 million doses of the Covishield vaccine to Nepal. Covishield is the local name for the India-manufactured Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine developed in the UK.
