Complementing Import of Antigen Rapid Test Kits with Local Supply

1 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether there are plans to complement commercial supply of antigen rapid test (ART) kits from overseas suppliers with the increase in manufacturing capacity of locally produced ART kits.

The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Low Yen Ling) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, MOH has received applications from six ART companies which are in various stages of evaluation by MOH and Health Sciences Authority (HSA). The applicants indicated that the kits will be manufactured or assembled locally. Once approved, the companies will be able to apply for existing grant and loan schemes that MTI and its Statutory Boards provide to support companies with their plans for local manufacturing.

Mr Speaker: Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): I thank the Minister of State for the response. It is heartening to know that there are six companies that are keen to make or assembly ART kits here. This is very welcome news, indeed. I understand from a recent Straits Times article or report last year that there are, currently, two local manufactured ART kits that are being approved for use within a clinical setting with professional guidance, but they were not able to obtain the necessary validations for approval to sell on the retail market because most local hospitals are too busy to carry out clinical trials of the kits.

I have three follow-up supplementary questions. First, will there be any particular consideration that could hold back the approval of these six companies' applications that have been announced? Second, what are the considerations when approving an ART kit for retail sale? Third, what steps are being taken to mitigate the risk posed by connectivity disruptions to ensure a good, steady and healthy supply of ART kits to Singapore? Appreciate the clarifications.

Ms Low Yen Ling: Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the Member Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim for his three supplementary questions. Mr Speaker, globally, the demand for ART kits has increased in various countries, including Singapore, as we move towards making testing for COVID-19 part and parcel of our lives and also, in a way, to keep the virus in check. Here, we have seen an increase in the demand for ART kits amidst the latest Omicron wave and also during the recent festive period.

In addition, more Singaporeans are practising social responsibility with regular self-testing. So, to Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim's third question on ensuring the connectivity and continuous supply of ART kits, I want to reassure him and everyone in the House that the Government has been able to respond to heightened demand due to our multi-pronged strategy of diversification, stockpiling and also by working very closely with the importers, distributors, retailers to ensure that Singapore and Singaporeans have continual and sufficient supply of ART kits.

Firstly, the Singapore Government keeps a reserve of ART kits to mitigate any sudden surge in demand or disruption of supplies. During the recent spike of Omicron cases, MOH drew down on its stockpile to supplement the retailers' supply of testing kits. Prior to that, Members would probably remember that the Government distributed close to 25 million ART kits to households in Singapore just last year. If Members remember, the two distribution drives – the first was between August and September, and the second drive was between October and December – saw that each household received a total of 16 ART kits. So, I want to assure Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim that the Government spares no effort in ensuring the continued supply of ART kits which is critical to living in the new normal.

Secondly, we diversify our sources of ART kits by importing from multiple sources. Currently, as I indicated in my answer to the Parliamentary Question (PQ), there are no companies locally manufacturing or assembling ART kits that are approved for retail sale yet. So, we welcome the application of the six companies seeking to assemble or manufacture ART kits in Singapore.

To his first two supplementary questions about testing, requirements and approval process required for retail sale, I want to share with Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and Members that only ART kits that have been evaluated to meet the stringent standards of quality, safety and performance and, at the same time, verified for its accuracy when used by consumers, will be made available for retail sale.

For example, ART kits have to undergo a separate route for approval where they are being benchmarked against PCR tests. Why is this necessary? Because MOH has explained that these self-test ART kits are to be used widely by members of the public in self-test settings. So, the implications on public health will be huge and significant if the kits that are approved for self-test are not sufficiently accurate.

Besides the 12 self-test ART kits that have been approved by MOH and HSA for retail sales, I want to assure Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim that MOH is also actively evaluating other ART kits for their eligibility. The brands, Alltest and Indicaid, have just obtained the Pandemic Special Access Route (PSAR) approval and will soon be on our retail shelves this month.

Two other brands called Biocredit and Hotgen have obtained satisfactory analytical validation results and are in the midst of obtaining their PSAR registration prior to clinical validation.

We hope that we will continue to have more options and wider supplies of ART kits from here as well as from abroad.

Thirdly, we work very closely with various partners, importers, distributors and retailers to plan ahead and ensure that affordable stocks of ART kits are constantly on-stream for Singaporeans.

I want to assure Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim that MTI, together with MOH and HSA, will continue to make the supply of ART kits our key priority and will provide ample support for the development and expeditious evaluation of ART kits, including local ones, to ensure quality self-test kits for Singapore's protection and safety.

Mr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I ask the Minister of State will the local manufacture of ART kits be expected to reduce the price of ART kits, which can benefit consumers? I am asking this because the current price of over $5 per kit can still be a cost burden on many families who are all on quarantine or Health Risk Notice (HRN) and are expected to test regularly.

I note from personal experience that a number of free ART kits given out at the vending machines to individuals on HRN seem to have been reduced from six to three. Can I confirm that this is the case?

Ms Low Yen Ling: Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Member Mr Gerald Giam for his questions. I mentioned the multi-pronged approach and the third prong that I mentioned is that MTI will continue to work closely with our importers, distributors and retailers to bring in various brands of self-test ART kits and to give choice and options to consumers.

If Members remember, in the last one year – we now have a wider supply of ART kits and, as of now, MOH and HSA have already approved 12, with more coming on-stream – the price of test kits has since fallen by almost half. Most recently, I went to either Guardian or Watsons, and you can buy an ART kit for about $4.90.

Having said that, I want to assure Mr Gerald Giam that, indeed, price is one of the considerations as part of MOH and HSA's evaluation criteria. And I want to assure Singaporeans that, regardless of financial background, if you remember last week, MOH has announced the setting up of more than 200 Combined Testing Centres (CTCs) and Quick Testing Centres (QTCs), where any COVID-19 patient with mild symptoms can proceed to for supervised self-test ART kits usage. At the same time, members of the public can make appointments at any of the QTCs and CTCs.

At the same time, MOH and MSF have also distributed about 140,000 kits to low-income households.

So, I want to assure Mr Gerald Giam and Members in the House that we will press on with our multi-prong approach to ensure that Singaporeans have access to continued supply of ART self-test kits.

Mr Speaker: Mr Leon Perera.

Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied): Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for her reply. Just one supplementary question, further to what my colleague Mr Gerald Giam was talking about. I heard one report that a PCR test was actually substantially cheaper in a neighbouring country, compared to Singapore. I am not sure how accurate that is or whether it is still the case. But my supplementary question is, looking at the countries in the region which have large populations, has the Government explored doing bulk purchase agreements, working together with other ASEAN countries, to negotiate with the manufacturers of these test kits, whether PCR or ART, as a way of lowering the price?

Ms Low Yen Ling: Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Member Mr Leon Perera for his supplementary question. I want to assure him that an important part of our multi-prong approach is to diversify our import sources. In fact, we import from various locations, including South Korea, US, Hong Kong and China. So, we will press on with our efforts, not just in terms of importing from multiple sources to bring choice and, in general, to further lower the price of ART kits, but, at the same time, to work with local companies or Singapore-based companies which have the intention or interest to manufacture or assemble ART self-test kits here.