KARACHI, Oct 31 (APP): Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal has said that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has been made fully transparent and digitalized. More than 86,000 medicines manufactured by the pharmaceutical industry have been registered under the Track and Trace System, enabling consumers to scan medicines easily through their mobile phones and verify their authenticity as well as obtain information about their prices.
He said that pharmaceutical companies could also register their medicines and products online. A process that previously took years is now being completed within just 21 days.
He expressed these views while addressing industrialists during his visit to the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI). The event was attended by KATI President Sheikh Umer Rehan, Deputy Patron-in-Chief Zubair Chhaya, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Anis Qaimkhani, KITE Chairman Zahid Saeed, CEO Saleem-uz-Zaman, Senior Vice President Farukh Qandhari, Vice President Nasir Sheikh, former presidents and chairmen Gulzar Feroz, Farhan-ur-Rehman, Johar Qandhari, S.M. Yahya, Sheikh Fazal Jalil, Member of the Provincial Assembly Daniyal Siddiqui, Najam Mirza, and a large number of industrialists and KATI members.
The Federal Health Minister further stated that eight months had passed since DRAP’s certification procedures were shifted to a digital system, during which more than 5,000 cases had been processed. He added that, in recognition of this landmark initiative, the Prime Minister had awarded DRAP for its outstanding performance in digitalization.
Mustafa Kamal said that he had performed his responsibilities with sincerity and a sense of duty, and the positive outcome was evident in the pharmaceutical industry’s current satisfaction. Recalling his tenure as Karachi’s City Nazim, he said that he had spent Rs. 300 billion on the city’s infrastructure, a contribution that continued to be remembered.
The Federal Minister said that the issue of medicine pricing required serious attention. The pharmaceutical industry was seeking an increase in medicine prices, but the matter was considered by the federal cabinet.
He suggested that the government should withdraw from direct price regulation and allow medicine prices, like those of other products, to be determined by the open market.
Mustafa Kamal further said that Karachi was not receiving its rightful share.
Earlier, KATI President Sheikh Umer Rehan said that his association with Mustafa Kamal dated back several decades. When Mustafa Kamal first became Karachi’s City Nazim, his first official visit was to KATI. He maintained regular contact with the association and facilitated the construction of Road 8000.
Sheikh Umer Rehan proposed that, on the pattern of the FBR Chairman, all federal ministers should visit Karachi at least once a month and address the concerns of stakeholders in their respective sectors.
He said that Pakistan’s cost of production was among the highest in the region, yet the government had further increased the interest rate, adding to the challenges faced by industry.
The KATI President said that the Korangi Industrial Area was home to a substantial share of the pharmaceutical industry, which was playing a key role in the country’s pharmaceutical sector.
According to the statistics, pharmaceutical exports reached $457 million in FY2024-25, registering an increase of approximately 34 percent compared to the previous fiscal year.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
