LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to expedite the process of enlistment of poultry products and lift undue sanctions on the poultry medicines as it could cause severe shortage of poultry medicines in the country.
While talking to a delegation of poultry industry, led by Shahid Iqbal and Dr. Ghulam Mahboob, the LCCI President Abdul Basit said that poultry is one of the biggest employment provider and source of revenue to the government but because of bureaucratic hurdles it is facing crisis-like situation.
He said that there must be discrimination between the drugs for human lives and veterinary medicine but unfortunately, both are being treated in same way. He said that because of hard and inappropriate rules and regulations of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), consignments of veterinary medicines are held at ports, causing huge damage to the importers.
The delegation informed the LCCI President that so far only limited number of companies have been issued Form No. 06 (Enlistment as Local Importers/ Agents) while none of Companies /Importers have been issued Form 07 for enlistment of products.
They said that the provincial Drug Authority as well as Local representatives of DRAP are strictly regulating sales of these products. They require Form No.06 and Form No. 07 from importers and warranties from traders. Although limited number of Form No. 06 and Form No. 07 have been issued.
They said that the documentation for human and veterinary, poultry alternative and health products have same requirements for enlistment as per the SRO 412 (1). Although the nature and use of poultry products is different from the human products. The poultry products are regulated differently in EU and USA (under directive (EC) No. 1831/ 2003).
The current regulation to enlist the importer and products is creating a crisis leading to shortage of these basic products used by the poultry farmers. These products are exclusively used by poultry formers and there is no misuse in humans.
Abdul Basit suggested that the poultry alternative medicine and health products which have been already legally imported may kindly be allowed to be sold. He said that the companies with Form No. 06, whose consignments are at port / in pipeline, may be allowed to get them cleared and sold in the market. He said that the criteria/ requirement of documentation for the enlistment of veterinary/poultry products be formulated according to their country of origin and international practices.
The LCCI president hoped that Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan would act promptly and rescue the poultry industry through immediate relief measures.
