adminpharmaceutical products at the expense of local manufacturers.
“It is more favourable for someone to trade and import drugs other than to manufacture because of the unfavourable policy environment,” Mr Mujuru said.
The pharmaceutical industry, he said, was appealing to Government to scrap duty and Value Added Tax on imported raw materials and packaging.
Mr Mujuru said while manufacturers were charged duty and VAT on these raw materials, imported finished products did not attract any duty.
He said when exporting to South Africa, they were only allowed to use air freight yet Zimbabwe allows drugs from South Africa to enter the country by road.
On the tendering process, Mr Mujuru said both local manufacturers and importers were enjoying the 10 percent preferences.
Mr Mujuru said Government should also compel non-governmental organisations to buy drugs for donations locally as is the case with South Africa.
He said in South Africa 75 percent of the drugs on the market were manufactured by local companies.
Mr Mujuru said if Government does not intervene with favourable policies that support local production, the pharmaceutical industry will collapse.
“The pharmaceutical industry is central to the whole health system of any country.
“The availability of drugs in any national health system depends to a greater extent on local production of those drugs within that territory,” said Mr Mujuru.
The deputy director of pharmacy, logistics and research in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Mr Forward Mudzimu, said Government was taking seriously concerns raised by the pharmaceutical industry and was working flat out to promote local companies.
Mr Mudzimu said talks were already underway with the South African authorities to remove some of the barriers such as restrictions on transportation of pharmaceutical products.
“All the ministries (concerned) agreed that we should make an enabling environment to ensure that the local manufacturing companies — including others not pharmaceutical — enjoy a level playing field with importers so that they will be able to produce commodities for the country for use within the country,” said Mr Emmanuel Mudzimu.
Online Reporter