KARACHI: Pakistan Medical Association (Centre) Honorary Secretary Genera Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad said on Thursday that PMA is very much concerned over the federal government’s major proposal in mini-budget that enforced 17% GST on raw materials for pharmaceutical products for Rs45 billion revenues.
He said in a statement: This imposition of 17% GST on raw materials will cause the price hike of medicine which is already very costly and is out of the reach of the poor people of the country and even the middle class of our society feels burdened. This move will make it difficult for the poor people to get treatment of their sick family members.”
We strongly oppose this proposal. Unfortunately, the present government has already eleven times increased the drug prices during its tenure. In such conditions when there is scarcity of health facilities at public hospitals, this increment of medicine prices will add to the misery of the people, says Qaiser.
PMA has been demanding for last many years to increase the health budget up to the 6% of the GDP so that people could get treatment of their diseases. Although it is less but people have to spend money in the public hospitals. PMA suggest government to make public health facilities free in 2022, so that nobody dies without treatment, he added.
According to the reports published in a section of media, government is going to impose 17% GST on food items including infants’ milk in upcoming Mini-Budget. He said: “These food items are very important for balanced diet, increasing the price of food items will not only increase the burden of diseases but will also increase the mal-nutrition and stunting. We are surprised that even knowing the fact that our children are already facing mal-nutrition and stunting, government is prepared to increase the prices essential food items.”
PMA demanded of the Federal Government to review its decision and withdraw the proposal of imposing 17% GST on food items and raw materials for pharmaceutical products to stop the further increase of drug prices to ease the difficulties of the poor people already suffering from the inflation and bad economic situation in the country.
