BOLIVIA

On December 23, President Luis Arce published a decree to extend until December 31, 2022 the deferral to 0% of the Tariff Tax for the importation of vaccines, diagnostic tests, medicines, medical devices, supplies, reagents, medical equipment for the containment, diagnosis and care of COVID-19. These provisions are already in effect and will remain in effect through 2022.

Prior to the pandemic, this tax was as high as 40%. In this regard, the Executive Branch maintains that the same health reasons that motivated this tax reduction will be replicated in 2022 throughout 2021.

 It should be noted that this measure was originally provided by Supreme Decree 4438, dated December 30, 2020, which also established the requirements to be met by suppliers of vaccines against COVID-19 in the domestic market. Among its arguments, it highlighted the evidence of a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s objective of safeguarding health and life in the Bolivian territory.