Government welcome Indian pharmaceutical companies to invest in Tanzania

BY DIRAMAKINI

THE Government, through the Ministry of Health, has said that it expects to sit with the Government of India to see how to invest in specialist services and the issues of manufacturing drugs and medical equipment so that they can be easily found in the country.

Speaking at the opening of the major pharmacy exhibition known as Pharmatech East Africa' at the Diamond Jubilee Hall on August 30,2022 the official guest of honour, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Godwin Molel who represented the Minister of Health, Ummy Mwalimu, said that they have discussed with the Ambassador of India in the country, Binaya Pradhan and to see what they will see, they advise how to invest in specialist services from a large hospital like Apollo and together with the pharmaceutical companies of the country, to come and invest their factories here in Tanzania.

"I have discussed a little with the Indian Ambassador how to invite investors, especially large pharmaceutical companies, to come here to open their pharmaceutical factories, but also to make the expert services provided by the Apollo Hospital in India available even here in Tanzania, reducing the high costs of foreign imports,''Said Deputy Minister of Health, Dkt.Molel.

In addition, he has said that, currently the market for pharmaceutical products in Tanzania and India has fallen due to various opportunities available in other areas, but the Government is thinking and seeing how they can build their factories in this country to get pharmaceutical products at a cheap price.

"In India, the people who buy from them, have decreased compared to the past. I can only say this because, as a country we wish to get medicine directly from the factories so that we can deliver it to Tanzanians at a cheap price.

"We also want to ask Hon. Ambassador, if we can make it easier to attract them to invest in industries in this country without affecting local industries, this is because our President, Hon. Samia Suluhu Hassan has been able to create a better environment for investment,"He said.

Deputy Minister, Dr. Molel also got to visit some of the stalls and saw for himself various things including medical equipment and medicines from India and other countries.

Moreover, he has asked the businessmen to be able to look at providing services and stop looking at profits because others are getting bigger profits, a situation that causes health services to be great.

On his part, the President of the Association of Pharmacists Tanzania (PST), Pharmacist Fadhili Hezekiah said more than 100 companies are participating on that three- day exhibition.

"Apart from having an exhibition, we also have conferences with various stakeholders.

"There will also be various seminars from stakeholders including the Pharmacy Council, TMDA and other stakeholders, these seminars are free and everyone is welcome for all the three days, here at Diamond Jubilee. Feel free to come and see for yourself, but also to learn about the health sector in terms of drugs,"He said.

On his part, the CEO of ETSIPL, a trade fair company from India, Mr. Digvijay Singh has said that large companies from India, Uganda, Egypt, Kenya, Rwanda and many others on the European continent, are here in Tanzania to participate in the exhibition while providing opportunities for Tanzanian and East African investors to come forward to see investment opportunities.