Pakistan aims to boost pharmaceutical exports to $30billion

KARACHI (APP) - Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Syed Mustafa Kamal on Thursday said that they have decided that they would increase the export of pharmaceutical equipment and medicines from the current around one billion US dollars to 30 billion US dollars in the coming years.

Addressing after inauguration of “22nd Health Asia-2025, exhibition at the Expo Center here, he said that our target was to elevate Pakistan’s pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical equipment and medicines exports to 30 billion US dollars.

He said that today was a very significant day in Pakistan’s economic history when a three-day exhibition called “Health Asia-2025” was being held at the Expo Center Karachi, where participants, delegates, and companies from over 50 countries were participating. Hundreds of companies and organizations—including healthcare product manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers and all professionals related to the health sector—are gathered here today under one roof, he said.

Syed Mustafa Kamal said that Pakistan’s health sector was achieving new levels of innovation and overcoming new challenges. By the grace of Allah Almighty, in the future, the major boost to Pakistan’s economy will come from its healthcare system.

He said that currently, if there was any sector in Pakistan with the highest export potential, it was the pharmaceutical industry. Our companies are exporting pharmaceutical equipment and components made in Pakistan to every region of the world, he added.

Syed Mustafa Kamal said that the cooperation, collaboration and facilitation between the federal and provincial governments and the industries today were unprecedented. Today, we, the government of Pakistan, the Ministry of Health, and the entire government, are united with the industries, he said and added, for this, we have not just made statements; we have gathered all industry stakeholders, held numerous meetings with them, and asked them: “Tell us what the government should do for you to increase your exports. We are ready to do everything necessary.”

He said that we are already working on all required measures and providing the facilitation needed by the industries. By the grace of Allah Almighty, Pakistan will witness the day when the export of the pharmaceutical industry alone will exceed 30 billion dollars.

He said that the people of Pakistan should know that we currently import approximately 500 million US dollars worth of vaccines. By the grace of Allah Almighty, within about a year to a-year-and-a-half, we will locally produce all the vaccines that we currently import. The Government of Pakistan, the Federal Ministry, is going to start local production; we are going to begin local manufacturing, he said.

Syed Mustafa Kamal said that we have spoken with manufacturers as discussions are being taken place with Chinese, Saudi Arabian, and Turkish companies and their governments. By the grace of Allah Almighty, Pakistan will soon see the time when we will produce all our vaccines locally, he expressed confidence.

He said that we will save 500 million US dollars, and in the coming years, since the population is growing, we would have had to spend nearly one billion US dollars on imports. We will not only save the one billion US dollars, but we will also produce vaccines here that we will export all over the world, he said.

Earlier, the minister formally performed inauguration of Health Asia-2025 conferences, seminars and workshops along with other notables.