India will drop the 10% customs duty on imported COVID-19 vaccines, a government official told Reuters on Monday, as it seeks to increase supplies to counter the dramatic rise in coronavirus cases.
Imports of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine are due to arrive soon, and the government has also urged Pfizer (PFE.N), Moderna (MRNA.O) and Johnson and Johnson (JNJ.N) to sell their products in India.
The official, who refused to be named, also said that the government intends to allow private entities to import vaccines approved for sale on the open market without government intervention. They could also be given the freedom to set prices, he added.
The Indian government is currently regulating the sale and purchase of all COVID-19 photographs in the country.
A Finance Ministry spokesman did not immediately respond to an email requesting comments outside of working hours.
Other South Asian countries, including Nepal and Pakistan, as well as Latin American nations such as Argentina and Brazil, charge import duties on vaccines ranging from 10% to 20%.
New COVID-19 infections and deaths in India have risen in record numbers for days, leaving hospitals without beds, oxygen and key medicines. The total death toll rose to nearly 179,000, and cases rose to more than 15 million, the second-highest number in the world behind the United States. Read more
The government has now decided to open vaccinations for all adults from May 1.
Our standards: Thomson Reuters’ principles of trust.