The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Earnings from pharmaceuticals export have reduced drastically in the recent months, as the sector is not getting necessary assistance from the government, stakeholders say.

During the July-October period of the present fiscal year 2008-09, earnings from the sector declined by 3.74 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year. The earning was 23.27 per cent less then the strategic export target. Pharmaceuticals worth US$13.12 million were exported during the period.

Sources said at present Bangladesh export drugs to 68 different countries. Before announcing the drug policy in 1992 the Bangladesh drug market size was Tk 173 crore. Foreign companies were supplying as much as 75 per cent drug that time while the local companies supplied the rest 25 per cent.

The announcement of drug policy has helped the local companies to capture the major part of Bangladesh market. Some high tech drugs are being imported to meet the local demand.

Adviser of Bangladesh Aushad Shilpa Samity Dr Momenul Haq yesterday told The New Nation that he noticed the export fall during the last six months. "During first six months of the calendar year export volume was at satisfactory level but after that it started to decline."

Sector leaders said the decision of acquiring 300 acres of land near Meghna Bridge for establishing effluent treatment plant and dumping yard for pharmaceuticals sector is yet to get shape.

Besides, Bangladesh couldn't utilise the opportunity given by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regarding production of patented drugs due to the bureaucratic red tape. In the mean-time nearly 3 years have passed but Bangladesh couldn't utilise the opportunity of rising export by three folds.

President of Bangladesh Aushad Shilpa Samity SM Shafiuzzaman earlier said bureaucratic red tape has held the establishment of API industrial park that was aimed at producting raw materials of pharmaceutical industry. This also made establishment of a quality control laboratory for the sector uncertain, he said.

According to him almost the entire raw materials for the sector comes from abroad. Those come from USA, Canada, Italy, China, Japan and neighbouring India. Twenty to thirty per cent raw materials are locally produced.