PCDA concerned at levy on pharmaceutical imports

KARACHI: Showing serious concerns over the recent imposition of an infrastructure cess on the import of pharmaceutical imports by the Sindh Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control Department, the Pakistan Chemist and Druggist Association (PCDA) has warned that this levy is severely impacting the import of essential pharmaceutical products.
Abdul Samad Budhani, spokesperson for the PCDA, said highlighted that these imports include life-saving medications for treatment of cardiology, oncology, neurology, and nephrology patients. 
Since most of these medicines are not produced domestically, their importation is vital to maintaining healthcare standards in Pakistan, he added.
Mr Budhani further explained that rising costs due to the infrastructure cess have forced many pharmaceutical companies to halt imports, leaving patients at risk and exacerbating the shortage of essential drugs.
In a letter to the Secretary of Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control, Sindh, Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, Senior Vice President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), sought an urgent review of the Sindh Development and Infrastructure Cess 2017, arguing that this levy has rendered the import of finished medicines economically unfeasible.
Hr regretted that despite a prior letter dated 27 February 2024, addressing the issue, no resolution has been achieved. 
Mr Magoon expressed deep concern over the diminishing availability of essential medicines and emphasised the need for immediate action to prevent a healthcare crisis.
The FPCCI has requested a personal meeting between PCDA representatives and the excise department to discuss a comprehensive strategy. The association is awaiting a response, hoping for a swift resolution to prevent further complications.
This situation comes amid broader challenges in the pharmaceutical industry, including supply chain disruptions and rising production costs, making the revision or removal of such levies crucial to the sector's survival.