Import of vaccines, medicines, medical supplies exempted from customs duties, VAT, and taxes

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Council of Ministers of BiH, at the proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH, adopted a Decision on exemption from indirect taxes on medical countermeasures for the prevention and suppression of the spread of the infectious disease Covid - 19.

The Decision stipulates exemption from payment of customs duties, VAT, and other indirect taxes on the import of vaccines, medicines, medical supplies, and other medical countermeasures, which are procured through the Agreement on joint public procurement of medical countermeasures for BiH, the Vaccine Procurement Agreement with the Global Alliance for Vaccines (GAVI), concluded on September 18, 2020, and other agreements on the basis of which BiH procures medical countermeasures for the prevention and suppression of the spread of Covid - 19, during the state of natural or other disaster on the territory of BiH.

The Decision prescribes the procedures and necessary conditions for the import of medical countermeasures. On September 15, 2020, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH concluded an Agreement on mutual rights and obligations regarding vaccine procurement through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (COVAX) with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Republika Srpska, and the Department for Health and Other Services of Brčko District BiH.