No plan to provide cash incentive to drug manufacturers

He was replying to questions in Parliament.

Replying to a supplementary question of Dr Syed Abdullah M Taher (Jamaat-Comilla), he said locally produced medicines now meet 96 percent of the country's total demand.

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He said at present, local manufacturers export medicines to 65 countries across the world and the number of export destinations is expected to rise in near future.

Detailing the steps taken by the government to promote medicine export, he said delegations in cooperation with the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) is sent to different countries for introducing locally produced medicines. Bangladesh also takes part in all medicine-related international fairs across the globe.

Besides, under the auspices of the government, medicine fairs are organised in different countries, he added.

To facilitate export of medicines, Mosharraf said the government has increased the allocation of foreign currency to 25,000 US dollar from 2,500 US dollar to meet various expenses, including setting up of offices in different countries, advertisements and registration of product.

He said a plan to set up a full-fledged Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) industrial park is under active consideration of the government to attract domestic and foreign investments, and to modernise and expand export-oriented pharmaceutical industries.

Replying to Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie (BNP-Laxmipur), he said there are 237 allopathic drug manufacturers in the country, who produce medicines worth Tk 10,000 crore a year.