Most imported medicine smuggled: Govt agency

KABUL (TOLOnews): Afghanistan’s Food and Drug Administration reported that a major portion of essential medicine entering the country is being smuggled in illegally.

The value of medicine imported into Afghanistan last year could be as much as $1 billion, but only around $44 million worth went through the Afghan customs procedures, said Ebrahim Shinwari, head of Afghanistan’s Food and Drug Administration.

“Who knows how much medicine will be imported into the country? Maybe, medicine costing 1$ billion will be imported. But statitistics from last year show medicine costing only $44 million was imported and registered in the country last year,” he said.

Executives in Farmaan Kaihan, a medicine-importing company in Afghanistan, says there is a mafia in the medicine business, and that 90% of medicine in the country is being imported illegally.

“I can prove with evidence that 90% of medicines are being illegally imported in the country while only 10 percent is brought in legally,” said Dr. Shafi, an employee in the company.

Officials at the union of medicine-Importing companies say that illegal medicine and drugs are being imported into the country through smuggling.

“Not hundreds but thousands of medicine containers are being imported into the country and distributed in markets, some of this medicine is illicit and not on the government’s authorized medicine list. This list exists from previous years and has not been reviewed yet,” said Asadullah Kakar head of the union.

There are few factories manufacturing medicines and drugs in the country, but only 6% of necessary medicine and pharmaceuticals consumed in Afghanistan are manufactured within the country, according to Afghanistan’s Food and Drug Administration.