Is Central Medical Stores Trust is for Malawians or international?
Who owns central Medical Stores Trust?
Is the central Medical Stores Trust is there to help Malawians or some one has turned the trust to make money to fill his pocket? And who?
The Central Medical Stores Trust [CMST] was established by the Government of Malawi (GOM) in November 2010 by General Notice Number 125/1968 of the Finance and Audit Act. It replaced the Central Medical Stores, an operational arm of the Ministry of Health [MOH] since 1968.
Central Medical Stores in bid to kill the Pharmacutical industry under buy Malawi Government policy
Local pharmaceuticals companies and international pharmaceuticals companies to compete
Central Medical Stores has openly told the local companies to compete with international pharmaceuticals in an open tender,
The question is do Central Medical Stores Trust serious that local pharmaceuticals drug manufacturers in the country to compete with big companies from China and India?,
Where is buy Malawian campaign? Why buy Malawi campaign has been undermined?
Our local companies make the same drugs, they create jobs and employee Malawians and maintain forex,
Are we serious with our economy and Forex?
Do we really serious to kill our local pharmaceuticals companies and lay off employees for the sake that someone wants to fill his pocket with kickbacks from international pharmaceuticals companies?
CMST are hoping to buy Medicines that are produced locally from international companies!
Since 2013 when buy Malawi campaign became a Government policy to grow the local industry and build up capacity in local production.
This policy was extended to many industries of which the pharmaceutical industry is one of them. Over a year ago, PPDA has suspended the Buy Malawi policy in the pharmaceutical industry with no advance warning or reason given.
The pharmaceutical association of Malawi has been told that PPDA suspended pending new guidelines to be issued before it’s reinstated. Unfortunately, to date there was no official communication on the reason that the Buy Malawi has been suspended.
Is It Someone getting kickbacks for international pharmaceuticals companies? Who is that person?
We all appreciate the fact that Buy Malawi became a policy because encouraging local production contributes to the economy and the growth of this country. CMST are claiming that the Ministry of Trade together with other stakeholders are preparing new guidelines but we wonder why is that while the new guidelines are being prepared the pharmaceutical factories where stoped to supply drugs to CMsT in fact they should go have continue supplying drugs to Central Medical Stores Trust and not stopping CMST from procuring drugs under Buy Malawi Policy.
It is also a concern to the pharmaceutical association that it has been taken so long by the Government to conclude a new guidelines.
On 27th October 2022, Central Medical Stores Trust has issued a bidding document for the supply and delivery of selected medicines by international competitive bidding under procurement reference number CMST/G/MMS/022/000602 with the bid closing date of 6th January 2023.
The concern of the pharmaceutical association is that central medical stores trust is procuring medicines for next one year and included the list of all buy Malawi products.
All Six Malawi pharmaceuticals companies risk closure, employees will laid off.
Despite numerous complains from the manufacturers to remove this products from the tender, CMST had not done so!Therefore, if these products are going to be awarded to traders locally and internationally all six factories are facing closure which will be a disaster for local industry.
