Another pharmaceutical manufacturing zone in A’pura gets Cabinet nod

In back-to-back proposals to set up pharmaceutical manufacturing hubs in different parts of the country since the virus outbreak exposed Sri Lanka’s over reliance on pharmaceutical imports, the government this week gave clearance to set up another such zone in Oyamadu, Anuradhapura. 

Accordingly, the Cabinet cleared a proposal by the Health Minister to set up ‘Anuradhapura Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Zone’ in the site where the ‘Deyata Kirula’ exhibition was held under the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa administration. 

To this end, a committee of experts has already selected 24 investors after calling proposals from qualified local investors who showed interest. The selected proposals add up to a cumulative investment of Rs.28.2 billion in setting up pharmaceutical processing facilities in the zone. 

The objective is to, “provide high quality pharmaceuticals at a low price for the people by manufacturing all pharmaceuticals in Sri Lanka which could be manufactured according to international standards, ” the Cabinet office said.

The land plots will be leased to the selected local investors for a period of 35 years with a grace period for the first five years, the government said. 

The zone will be regulated as a, ‘strategic project’ under the State Health Ministry, and the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal giving powers to the said ministry to implement the manufacturing and supplying functions as well.  Earlier in the month, the Cabinet cleared a proposals to set up a pharmaceutical manufacturing zone in Millewa, Horana, with an initial investment of Rs.8.0 billion and another zone was established in Hambantota last year. 

The collateral economic damage of the pandemic pervaded through global supply chains exposing the over dependence of countries around the world to China and India for their pharmaceutical supplies, amongst other commodities. 

The United States took immediate steps to re-shore crucial pharmaceutical manufacturing operations back to America under President Donald Trump as the Trump administration considered it a crucial national security threat to depend on China for their pharmaceutical drugs  requirement.