HCMC – Viet A Technology Corporation has been found to have imported three million rapid Covid-19 test kits named Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV Antigen Test (Colloidal Gold) from China at US$0.995, or VND21,560 per kit in the last four months of last year, instead of producing such kits locally as announced.
The General Department of Vietnam Customs on January 20 announced that between 2017 and 2021, Viet A spent some VND286 billion importing medical supplies and equipment, including VND64.68 billion worth of quick Covid test strips; VND74 billion worth of chemicals, reagents and other substances used in labs; VND23 billion worth of tools used in labs and VND123 billion worth of machines and equipment for the Covid testing and research in labs.
Viet A, whose general director is Phan Quoc Viet, has five branches. Viet was also director of 10 other companies but only Viet A specializes in the import and trade of medical equipment and supplies, laboratory reagents used in the seafood sector and accessories used in labs, the local media reported.
The General Department of Vietnam Customs also said it was coordinating with other competent agencies to look into seven enterprises involved in the case at Viet A, including Technical Import-Export Company (Technimex), Biomedic JSC, Vietnam Applied Biology And Technical JSC, Lan Oanh Scientific Equipment Co., Ltd, Viet Hoang Long Trading Co., Ltd, Vina Chemistry Biology Science Equipment Co., Ltd, and TBR Technology JSC.
At a meeting of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption on January 20, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong required enhancing the investigation into the price gouging of Covid-19 test kits at Viet A and other cases in the healthcare sector and bringing these cases to court this year.
