The Member of Parliament for Effutu, has called on the Minister of Trade and Industry, and other stakeholders to make sure that local Pharmaceutical Companies which are permitted to produce some selected drugs in Ghana to also print labels locally too, to grow the economy.
The MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has welcomed the idea which has given license to some Companies to produce about 49 drugs otherwise could be produced outside this Country but want full implementation of the policy to cover label printing too.
Some months ago, Government through The Trade Ministry has banned importation of some 49 drugs and gave the mandate to some local companies to produce them but those local companies are allegedly importing labels for those drugs.
Addressing The Media in Parliament, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said, the focus should be to create jobs, to expand and build capacity so I am with the view that the Ministers’ assurance must be implemented to the fullest without further delay it will help the Ghanaian economy that is my contention.
According to him, “once The Pharmaceutical Companies managed to get restrictions on some 49 drugs thereby given the opportunity to produce locally, it is important for them to complete the value chain. They cannot have such a dispensation to growth their businesses whiles they will import labels from overseas to kill the local industries: Daily Graphics, Ghanaians Times and Daily Guide and other printing firms have the capacity to print”
He stated that, “it is a huge sector, therefore if a Pharmaceutical Company is getting an opportunity to produce drugs that otherwise to be imported and will still want to import libels and enjoy tax exemptions on libels as raw materials then there is imbalance for the local printing firm that is investing so such much in technology and will still pay taxes, it doesn’t add up”.
Story by Edzorna Francis Mensah
