Locally Manufactures Of Drugs Are Facing Closure

Buy Malawi Strategy is a Government of Malawi programme designed to promote the consumption of locally produced goods and services. Locally produced goods and services are those made or offered by firms located in Malawi, regardless of the original nationality of the ownership.

In order to promote local pharmaceutical companies in Malawi on buy Malawian campaign, Central Medical Store Trust had an agreement and special orders of some medical drugs to be manufactured in the country by giving tenders to local manufactures of drugs located in the country, That means a certain package of some medical drugs were supposed to be locally manufactured in our country by locally pharmaceuticals companies in Malawi according to Buy Malawi Campaign strategy,

CENTRAL MEDICAL STORES FLOUTED THE ORDERS OF BUY MALAWI STRATEGY

Central Medical Store Trust has ignored all orders of buy Malawian campaign and engaged inviting international bidders in all those drugs including those drugs that were supposed to be manufactured locally by local pharmaceuticals companies, According to L.P.O this publication has seen CMST/G/MMS/022/000602,

CMST has flouted all the orders of promoting locally manufactures of drugs in the country assigned on buy Malawian campaign by priotising the international bidders to compete with local pharmaceutical companies in the same medical drugs that were prohibited to be done by international companies

CENTRAL MEDICAL STORES TRUST IS KILLING LOCAL PHARMACEUTICALS COMPANIES

Pharmaceuticals companies have confided to this publication that the stand that CMST has taken is to kill all local drug manufactures companies in the country and urged minister of trade and industry Mark Katsonga to intervene

Local production of pharmaceuticals plays a vital role in maintaining resilience of national healthcare systems, especially when it comes to facilitating access to needed medicines and decreasing exposure to imports and international supply chains

Ministry of Trade has developed regulations for the Buy Malawi Strategy to compel retailers to stock a certain percentage of locally produced products.

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mark Katsonga-Phiri called on all Malawians to shift their mindset to buying local products and services to create jobs. Speaking at the commemoration of the 7th Buy Malawi Day, at Gateway Mall in Lilongwe, Honorable Katsonga-Phiri commended the private sector’s contribution to advancing the import substitution initiative

Additionally, the Government put in place deliberate measures aimed at guaranteeing the success of the BMS that all public procuring entities are advised to buy at least 60% of their goods and services from Malawi based suppliers of goods and providers of services.

So we appeal to the local packaging industry to come together and listen to local manufacturers and see how they can work together to solve the problem. We are also working hard to change the mindset of Malawians so that they appreciate the importance of buying locally manufactured goods,” Chirambo said. He then said buying locally-made products is one of the shortest ways of growing the country’s economy through job creation and generation of foreign currency through exports.