By Sue-Ann Wayow
TO date, Government has not yet used money from the US$204million loan agreement with China for the purchase of Sinopharm vaccines says Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
Dr Rowley was answering questions from the Opposition in Parliament on Wednesday.
He was asked to state what percentage of the recently signed loan agreement between China and Trinidad and Tobago was used for the purchase of that vaccine.
Dr Rowley said, “To date, all the Sinopharm vaccines have been procured by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago have been paid for using general revenues from the Consolidated Fund.”
He added, “The proposed loan from the China Development Bank may be used for future purchases of Sinopharm vaccines depending on the timing of such purchases.”
Asked by Member of Parliament for Oropouche West Davendranath Tancoo if that will not conflict statements made by Finance Minister Colm Imbert that a percentage of that loan would be used for the purchase of Chinese goods including vaccines, Dr Rowley responded, “It will not.”
He further said, “At the time when the minister spoke, we had payments to make. We got the first set of vaccines before the loan finalisation was done so we paid for it from our Consolidated Fund and we continue so to do.”
“The Minister was very very clear. He pointed out that it was not a condition of the loan to buy vaccines, it was a condition of the loan to be used on Chinese products, whatever Trinidad and Tobago choose. If we don’t spend it on vaccine purchase, we could spend it on something else.”
Dr Rowley was also asked to give the figure spent on the Sinopharm vaccines to which Dr Rowley responded once appropriate notice was given, he would reveal that figure, “ down to the last cent.”
On May 10, Imbert gave details of the loan during a Ministry of Finance press conference.
He said, “Of the US$204million, we must spend 15% on what they consider to be Chinese elements which was later defined as Chinese goods and services. They did indicate at the time that vaccines qualified being Chinese elements.”
Out of that agreement some US$25 million would be available for possible vaccines, Imbert had said.
