ISLAMABAD: As the government plans to set up the ‘Food, Agriculture, and Drug Administration Authority’, a meeting of stakeholders under the chairmanship of Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Health Dr Malik Mukhtar convened on Thursday to discuss proposals for the proposed authority.

The meeting at the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) was attended by Drap CEO Dr Asim Rauf and other officers of the health ministry and relevant divisions. A technical expert at the health ministry on the condition of anonymity told Dawn that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has given the go-ahead for the FDAA.

“It will be similar to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and requires detailed deliberations. There is a concept that quality food is required for good health and there are a number of factors, which play a role in improving the quality of food,” the expert added. According to the official, it has been decided that food, pesticides, cosmetics and medicines will be dealt by a single authority,” he said.

The PM’s aide claimed that the health ministry was in contact with the food ministry, provincial governments, and other stakeholders. He also said their recommendations and proposals would be considered while establishing the authority.

“The proposals given by the stakeholders will be submitted to the prime minister. The aim of the authority is to produce medicines and agricultural products per international standard and their quality should be up to the mark so that the products can be exported abroad and sold in the international market,” he said. The authority will also improve the quality of local food products and other goods related to agriculture and medicines, he added. “As per vision of the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, we are determined to increase the exports. We will provide all kinds of facilities to improve the exports,” he added.

A member of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA), Usman Shaukat, told Dawn that they welcomed the FDDA: “...[We] hope that it shall serve the relevant sectors of the country to achieve their true potential. Pharmaceuticals would also be covered by the authority and there is a dire need for enhancing the exports of pharmaceutical products to the developed countries, such as the US and European countries.”

“Due to the stringent regulatory environments, Pakistan is unable to export pharma products to the developed countries and we hope the new authority would assist in technically uplifting the industry to achieve the requisite regulatory standards,” he said. Mr Shaukat, president of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that Pakistan’s pharma exports were barely $300 million while India has more than $30 billion of pharma exports. “Hence there is tremendous room for expansion and we hope that the authority will play a pivotal role in achieving higher export targets,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2024