MoC should deal business issues of drug industry: PPMA

KARACHI: The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA) has appealed to the federal government that its Ministry of Commerce, rather than the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), should deal with all the purely business-related affairs of the drug industry to ensure its upgrading and expansion in accordance with the international standards.
This was stated by PPMA Chairman Tauqeer Ul Haq as he led a delegation of his association to meet Sindh Governor Imran Ismail here at Governor House.
The PPMA Chairman informed the Governor that owing to unjust acts of the DRAP the pharmaceutical industry could not make progress in the manner it was supposed to do.
He said the Commerce Ministry should deal with all the business-related issues of the drug industry including pricing for increasing exports of medicines from Pakistan.
He said the DRAP was incapable of dealing with the business affairs of the pharmaceutical industry.
Former PPMA chairman Dr Kaiser Waheed informed the Governor that one year had passed since the government had issued the notification to constitute the Pharma Export Council of Pakistan, with Commerce Adviser to Prime Minister Abdul Razak Dawood as its chairman, but it was yet to be formed.
He said that the constitution of this council would be helpful in utilizing billions of rupees deposited in the Health Ministry’s Central Research Fund by the pharmaceutical industry for its expansion and advancement.
Sindh Governor assured the delegation that he would personally meet the relevant authorities and officials to remove the hurdles in the way of increasing Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exports.
He said that a meeting would soon be arranged between PPMA office-bearers and Special Assistant to PM on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan and National Health Services Secretary Aamir Ashraf Khawaja here at Governor House to resolve the issues of the pharmaceutical industry.
The governor appreciated the generous donation by the PPMA of personal protective equipment and medicines to the field isolation centres and other health facilities during the coronavirus emergency.
The delegation comprised of former PPMA Chairman Zahid Saeed, Zonal Chairman South Dr Mahwash Khan, Najeeb ur Rehman, Saboor Ahmed, Jalaluddin Zafar, Asadullah, Taimur Ahmed, and Naveed Hakim.