VND14.62 trillion spent on Covid-19 prevention and control

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Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc reads the Government’s report to the National Assembly Standing Committee. Photo: Q.H

Ministries, central agencies and localities have saved 50% of the cost of conferences, working trips at home and abroad, and 10% of remaining recurrent expenditures in 2021. They have reviewed State expenditures for 2021 under the rule of saving and cutting unnecessary expenditures or those unable to be implemented due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc said at the third session of the National Assembly Standing Committee, on September 22.

About VND14.62 trillion (US$635 million) from regular expenditures have been saved.

In the year to August, the central and local budget used the reserve fund for Covid-19 pandemic prevention and handled urgent expenditures for defence and security. VND22.27 trillion from the central budget has been used for anti-pandemic efforts.

The central reserve fund 2021 is estimated at VND17.5 trillion, of which VND14.62 billion was spent on Covid-19 prevention and control and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, disease, defence and security tasks in the remaining months of the year.

About VND22 trillion from the State budget and National Covid-19 Vaccine Fund has been used for pandemic prevention. The Prime Minister decided to spend VND7.65 billion to buy Covid-19 vaccines. The remaining amount of VND14.33 trillion is used for buying and producing vaccines.

According to the Ministry of Health, the country must buy about 170 million vaccine doses worth VND28.5 trillion to vaccinate 80 million people. After subtracting VND8.887 trillion of central budget and VND3.54 trillion of local budget for purchasing vaccines, the central budget must spend about VND16.07 trillion in the near future. If the pandemic lasts for a long time and there is a need for a booster vaccine every year, the fund for buying vaccines will be higher.

To ensure medical work in the situation that 300,000 people are infected with Covid-19 within 28 days, the State budget needs spend about VND60.57 trillion, of which the central budget needs spend about VND23.44 trillion, and the local budget VND37.13 trillion, the Ministry of Health said.

100% of the members of the National Assembly Standing Committee agree on the plan on using the saved sum of the central budget 2021. Photo: Q.H

The Government expects the central budget need to spend about VND20-24 trillion for the procurement of medical supplies and equipment and support for people affected by the pandemic.

The central budget must spend about VND36-40 trillion on buying vaccines and preventing the disease.

The Government proposed the National Assembly Standing Committee to approve the use of VND14.62 trillion from saved sums to add to the central budget reserve fund 2021 to fight the pandemic.

At the session, almost all the members of the National Assembly Standing Committee agreed on the plan on using the saved sum of the central budget 2021.