Accra, Sept. 26, GNA - Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Friday called for the establishment of a strong pharmaceutical manufacturing base, which would lead to a significant reduction in the cost of drug importation.

"Our ability to do this will reduce the menace caused by the proliferation of imported fake drugs," he said. Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who was speaking at this year's Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana (PMAG) Day in Accra, said government was pursuing policies under the Trade and Investment Promotion Programme (TIPP) aimed at removing both internal and external constraints to the development of locally manufactured drugs. It was on the theme: "Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in Ghana - Building a Centre of Excellence." He said government was concerned about the influx of fake drugs into the country and called on PMAG to support its agencies to eradicate this anti-social practice.

Alhaji Mahama said government would support the association in developing a strong foundation in science, technology and research so as to nurture a pool of knowledge and talents, from which qualified manpower could be drawn for the industry. He urged PMAG to collaborate with the Food and Drugs Board and the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine into coming out with drug formulations that would require the use of local resources and expertise.

Dr Michael Agyekum Addo, President of PMAG, said bureaucratic bottlenecks in dealing with government agencies and competition from lower priced products from China and India was killing the local pharmaceutical industry.

He called for the establishment of bio-equivalent centre to take advantage of the National Health Insurance Scheme that had increased the need for drugs and tax relief for some pharmaceutical raw materials. Mr Addo said some of its members had the capacity to supply the West African sub-region with its pharmaceutical needs and called on government to work with sister nations in the sub-region for the harmonization of regulations in the industry. Mr Benjamin Botwe, a Deputy Chief Executive of the Foods and Drugs Board, said to assure manufacturers of reasonable guaranteed markets, the FDB would introduce innovative regulatory policies. He proposed the setting up of bio- equivalence centres in the sub-region to assist local manufacturers in their bio analysis. He said with the discovery of crude oil in the country, there was the need to establish a major petrochemical industrial base with emphasis placed on research and development. 26 Sept. 08