KABUL (SW) – Traders at the Medicines and Health Products Association have expressed their concern about the large-scale smuggling and irregular import of low-quality medicines to Afghanistan.
Mohammad Zaki Zakawt, secretary of the association told a meeting that drugs and health products smuggled into the country are mostly stockpiled and many of them get expired. “Each year, drugs worth one billion dollars are smuggled into the country directly and indirectly, which is more than the needs of consumers. 100 tons of expired medicines are wasted by the government, which harms the wealth of the country.”
He also added that if drugs imported into the country through smuggling are not stopped, this industry will face the threat of disappearing in Afghanistan. “We have 88 pharmaceutical factories in the country, 56 of which have actual production. If smuggling is not stopped and if support, laws and attention are not given in this area, this sector will face the threat of disappearing.”
Sayed Noor Pacha, director of Sona Pharma Company, said on the occasion that drugs should be imported into the country based on the law and after monitoring. “We need to recognize medicine and consider it as a consumable item. We import and export medicines under the umbrella of a law. Under the principles, we have a system of manufacturing drugs, and we still allow drugs to come from these factories and be analyzed and determined in our laboratories.”
Faiz Mohammad, Director at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said on the occasion that efforts are being made to prevent drugs being smuggled into Afghanistan.
According to him, recently the ministry has banned the import of 15 items that are produced inside the country. “In the near future, all imports will be checked in one center at all the ports we have.”
ENDS
