Deputy Minister of Food and Medicine Meets with Officials and Members of the Drug and Medical Equipment Importers’ Union

H.E. Al-Haj Mawlawi Hamdullah Zahid, Deputy Minister of Food and Medicine at the Ministry of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, met on Tuesday afternoon, 1 Shaban 1447 AH, in his office, along with heads of various departments of the Food and Medicine Deputy Ministry, with officials and members of the Drug and Medical Equipment Importers’ Union.

At the outset of the meeting, the leadership of the Food and Medicine Deputy Ministry welcomed the members of the Union and provided comprehensive information on the decisions approved by the esteemed Office of the Prime Minister, particularly the facilitation measures introduced for the registration of pro forma invoices of imported items for both old (grandfathered) companies and newly established companies.

Subsequently, the officials and members of the Drug and Medical Equipment Importers’ Union expressed their appreciation for the facilitation measures and described the support of the Food and Medicine Deputy Ministry in addressing the problems of the Union and the people of the country as commendable. They also shared existing challenges related to drug imports, the registration of new companies, and the status of goods remaining in Pakistan.

At the conclusion of the meeting, H.E. Mawlawi Hamdullah Zahid assured the participants that the raised issues would be addressed comprehensively in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

It is worth noting that, in order to implement the decision to ban the import of medicines from Pakistan, the Food and Medicine Deputy Ministry has assigned a committee to prepare and submit an implementation plan. This plan has been developed to manage the transitional phase of phasing out Pakistani medicines without creating a serious gap in the pharmaceutical market, while ensuring the needs of the country’s health systems are met.