The federal government's indecisiveness and half-cocked policies may lead to the surrender of up to $ 2 billion worth of medical equipment including Persona Protective Equipments (PPEs) to neighbouring countries as domestic industry is not getting a positive response from the ministries concerned.
In a letter to the Prime Minster Imran Khan, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has requested for a clear policy on export of medical devices and PPEs.
The prime minister was apprised of the current scenario of economic challenges posed by Covid-19 outbreak, with garments, textile and sports goods industry losing markets of their traditional product lines and shifting towards manufacturing PPEs as they are getting orders for export of PPEs.
"Items like PPEs gowns, face masks, face shields, etc, can easily fetch between $ 1 to $ 2 billion if allowed to be exported. This can create tremendous opportunities for large scale manufacturing industry in Pakistan which is already marred by negative growth rate," said LCCI, President Ifran Iqbal Sheikh in his letter.
The domestic industry has requested the Prime Minister to allow local manufacturers of class-A medical devices exemption from operation of article 52 of " Medical Devices Rules 2017" notified via S.R.O 32(1)/2018 rules for the period of the emergency, or for 24 months, whichever is later, from January 16, 2020 onwards and also allow export of these items. The exemption from operation of this article will save businesses related to this sector from lengthy litigation processes.
Engineering Development Board (EDB) is also formulating its own policy on local manufacturing of medical & health devices and PPEs. For this purpose, a meeting was held on May 11, with Minister for Industries and Production, Hammad Azhar in the chair and attended by stakeholders concerned.
The minister informed the meeting that the EDB is coordinating between equipment designers, government agencies and local industry in making available local manufacturing expertise especially in the automotive parts industry to develop medical, surgical and PPE equipment locally.
He further elaborated that EDB is also working to ensure a level playing field to local manufacturers and has requested the government to extend the same facilities to local manufacturing of medical and PPE equipment that were extended to imported products vide SRO, 235, 236& 237 issued on March 2020.
In addition a comprehensive incentive package and policy framework is being prepared to support the sector.
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