On Thursday, February 24, the Saeima in the second and final reading supported the urgent amendment to the Law on the Management of the Spread of COVID-19 Infection. It provides that vaccines against COVID-19 can be sold to foreign governments without applying the Public Person’s Property Expropriation Law.

The changes stipulate that the decision on the sale of vaccines against COVID-19 will be taken by the Cabinet of Ministers on a case-by-case basis. In turn, the funds obtained as a result of the sale will be transferred to the State’s basic budget as revenue.

According to the explanatory note to the draft law, the amendment intends to prevent exceeding of the vaccines’ expiration date, and provide them to countries in need. For the purpose of efficient management of public funds, the Ministry of Health has encouraged the Cabinet to prioritise the sale of vaccines, but if there are no sales partners, donate them to the countries nominated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as recipient countries.

Saeima Press Service