Rafila says that he sent Prime Minister Ciucă the options proposed by Pfizer, but that he did not receive any response. “I came back twice”

The former Minister of Health Alexandru Rafila claims that, in 2023, he sent the then Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă the proposal of the European Commission and the Pfizer company regarding the reduction of the number of vaccine doses for Romania, in exchange for the payment of a tax, but that he did not receive any response.

Alexandru Rafila declared on Thursday evening, on the Medika TV station, that he thus interpreted the lack of a response from Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă as a tacit approval of the continuation of the original contract with Pfizer, reports News.ro.

“In May 2023, the European Commission and Pfizer came up with a proposal to reduce the number of doses for countries that did not agree to the initial form of the contract. What did this document say? That the number of doses is reduced, a flexibility fee is paid, that's what the respective fee was called, representing the value of a regular vaccine. That is, instead of 19.50 euros, let's pay 9.75. And this fee it was applied for a number of 16.5 million vaccines”, explained Alexandru Rafila, currently PSD deputy, president of the Commission for Health and Family.

He stated that Romania had to pay the amount of 161 million euros within 30 days.

“This payment had to be made within 30 days of signing this agreement, and a remaining amount of vaccines would have been distributed over the next four years. So they still sent us vaccines, but over four years, and we paid in installments. I periodically informed the prime minister about these discussions and the situation of the vaccine stocks. When I had the proposal from the European Commission and the Pfizer company, I immediately informed the prime minister and I explained to him very clearly what it means”, declared the former Minister of Health.

“There had to be an emergency ordinance of the Government for such a payment”

According to Rafila, the prime minister was the one who had to make the decision, since the Ministry of Health did not have the necessary funds for the payment to Pfizer.

“I returned twice to Mr. Prime Minister. Once I also told him at the Government meeting that it is a situation on which he must pronounce himself.”

The former Minister of Health claims that an Emergency Ordinance of the Government was necessary to allow this immediate payment.

“This issue is not provided for either in the public procurement law or in the public finance law. So you can't find a provision anywhere that allows such a payment. There had to be an emergency ordinance of the Government that would explicitly establish the details, that it is with VAT, that it is without VAT, the respective amount had to be paid and the ordinance made the payment possible. (…) I did not receive any kind of answer and in the end it was a kind of approval silent on the continuation of the initial contract”, declared Alexandru Rafila.

“I'm not accusing Mr. Ciucă in any way, and I'm also bothered by the approach with “who's to blame””

Asked why he didn't publicly explain this situation then, Rafila replied: “Should I hold a press conference in which I criticize the prime minister for not making a decision? These things are not done. When you are a member of a government, you send official documents registered to the prime minister's office, you ask him informally.”

Rafila declared that the lack of an answer from the prime minister meant that the decision was not to sign that document proposed by the European Commission and Pfizer.

“If I had signed, let's say, that amendment and went ahead, then it was a very clear situation of abuse of office, with particularly serious consequences. I had no legal basis”, added Alexandru Rafila.

He specified that he does not accuse the then prime minister: “I do not accuse Mr. Ciucă in any way. I am also very disturbed by this approach related to this whole discussion with Pfizer – “Who is to blame!””.

Romania lost the case with Pfizer in the first instance and has to pay 600 million euros.

The former ministers of health during the pandemic have been accusing each other since the beginning of April, when the decision of the Belgian court was pronounced.

The government is looking for solutions to manage the situation, considering several scenarios. The current Minister of Health, Alexandru Rogobete, and the Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, are currently discussing with Pfizer representatives in the USA.