September 6, 2002	Friday	Jamadi-us-Saani27,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 5: The confusion created by the decision of withdrawal of general sales tax without evolving a mechanism for refund of the GST has led to an acute shortage of life saving drugs. More than 100 essential medicines are missing from the market, according to a survey conducted by a consumer rights organization.

The Network for Consumer Protection, said a number of essential medicines were not available in the market for the last two weeks.

The project coordinator, pharmaceuticals of the Network, Azhar Hussain, said in a statement that the root cause of the shortage was the chaos created by the absence of a mechanism for refund after the reversal of 15 per cent GST on medicines.

“The government though announced withdrawal of the GST on medicines on August 22, but did not indicate any mechanism to get a refund of the GST on the existing stocks”.

He said it was the poor patients who were paying a price for the shortage of essential drugs, which was increasing day by day, alleging that major manufacturers and suppliers were not taking interest in supplying fresh stocks to the market despite the shortage.

They were neither replacing nor supplying the medicines exempted from the GST, he said questioning why should the poor consumer be made to suffer due to the flaws in the policy.

A spokesman for the organization also alleged that the government had acted in haste to fulfil the requirements of the international donors. The decision to reverse the GST, though in the interest of the general consumer, was not well-planned because the government failed to devise a mechanism to control the market dynamics once it was implemented. This resulted in an acute shortage of the medicines required by the people for their survival.

He said the poor patients had to buy the medicines on the price inclusive of the GST. “If this continues we are going to face an acute shortage of medicines adding to the misery of the already suffering poor patient,” he said.

Some of the medicines which according to the survey were short in the market were: Accupril, Aldomet tabs, Amikin injection, Amlocard tabs, Ampiclox caps and syrups, Antial tabs, Aprannx tbs, artem caps, Asacci tabs, Ascard tabs, Azactam inj, Basoquin susp, Becefol, Becozym drgees, Bejectal infusion, Benatuss syp, Benecryl syp & tabs, Berroca tabs, Betage tabs, Capozide tab, Citralka liquid, Claritek tabs, co-Renitec Tab, corgard tab, Coversyl tabs, Decadron eye drops, Decadron tabs, Diane 35 tabs, dicloran tabs, digex MP susp, Dilantin caps & susp, Dilzem tabs, Dormicum tabs, Duphalac susp, Duricef caps & susp, Erybron tabs, Etipro caps, Etizem caps and Fansidar syp.