Sarhad Chamber Urges DRAP to Resolve Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pharma Industry Woes

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Malik Imran Ishaq has urged the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to take practical steps to resolve the problems facing the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the province’s industry was in decline rather than growth for various reasons, and that traders and industrialists were deeply distressed. Their grievances, financial problems and difficulties urgently needed to be addressed, he said.

He said that once the wheels of business and industry turned, the economy would also move towards stable and sustainable growth.

Malik Imran Ishaq added that the province’s trading community had played its part in improving the national and provincial economy despite difficulties, which he described as an established fact. He stressed that the government must act promptly and swiftly to provide incentives and facilitation and make it easier to do business.

Meeting with drug manufacturers

Chairing a meeting with a delegation of drug manufacturing company owners and representatives yesterday, the Chamber president said the leadership was committed to serving the business community through collective action, consultation and joint measures rather than individual efforts.

He said sector-wise focal persons had been appointed to maintain close contact with business entities, identify their problems and convey them to the relevant federal and provincial authorities. Sector-wise working committees will be formed to review ground realities, offer opinions on government measures and find solutions to traders’ concerns.

The pharma delegation was led by Nadeem Shahzad, a member of the Chamber’s executive committee, who highlighted several issues concerning drug companies. The meeting was attended by Senior Vice President Naeem-ur-Rehman, former president Junaid Altaf, members of the executive committee, Chamber Secretary General Muqtasid Ahsan and owners of pharmaceutical industries.

Factory owners expressed concern over DRAP’s special committee’s decision to withdraw a price increase for medicines, demanding that the decision be reviewed and a uniform pricing policy for medicines be enforced nationwide.

Manufacturers also raised an issue related to drug production. According to manufacturers, entire batches of medicines had been rejected due to impurity problems. Industrialists also pointed to the mislabelling of medicines and the responsibilities of directors.

President Malik Imran Ishaq assured participants that he would arrange a meeting with the federal health minister and senior DRAP officials so that all issues raised at the meeting could be resolved. The Chamber president reminded that sector-level meetings had already begun and that a comprehensive strategy would be devised to resolve all matters.