Việt Á imported 3 million COVID quick test kits from China at less than US$1 apiece: VN customs

Phan Quốc Việt, former Việt Á CEO is being prosecuted for overcharging for COVID-19 quick test kits. — Photo courtesy of Việt Á

HÀ NỘI — Việt Á Technologies JSC, the company which has been prosecuted for overcharging RT-PCR COVID-19 tests , had imported three million quick test kits from China at less than US$1 per kit, said the General Department of Việt Nam Customs (GDVC).

The deal from China was worth VNĐ64.7 billion (US$2.8 million) in total.

Last month, the police arrested and initiated legal proceedings against Phan Quốc Việt, general director of Việt Á Technologies, for raising the price of RT-PCR COVID-19 test kits and bribery of health officials to facilitate purchases of their test kits.

According to the GDVC, Phan Quốc Việt was also named the director of 11 other companies, but only Việt Á was trading medical equipment and materials.

From 2017 to 2021, the company imported chemical materials, reagents, lab equipment, and other substances for testing with a total trade turnover of VNĐ286 billion ($12.6 million).

This includes VNĐ162 billion ($7.2 million) for quick tests and reagents, and VNĐ123 billion ($5.4 million) for equipment for laboratory use.

The GDVC is also investigating seven other companies related to Việt Á Technologies JSC: Technique Import and Export JSC (Technimex); Biomedic Science Material JSC; Việt Nam Applied Biology and Technical JSC; Lan Oanh Science Equipment Co Ltd; Việt Hoàng Long Trading Co Ltd; Vina Chemistry Biology Science Equipment Co Ltd; and TBR Technology Corporation. — VNS