MoF to stop processing Pakistani medicine imports after 3 months

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has announced that, based on the directive of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, medicines imported from Pakistan will no longer be processed through customs after the next three months — effectively halting their import.

In a statement released on Thursday, the ministry said the decision was made under the guidance of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs. Beginning three months from now, medicines imported from Pakistan will no longer be subject to customs duties.

The statement informed all medicine importers from Pakistan to finalize their ongoing commercial transactions before the specified date and to begin using alternative trade routes.

According to the ministry, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) made the decision to curb the import of low-quality medicines from Pakistan and urged traders to focus on importing higher-quality pharmaceuticals through alternative routes.

The MoF added that significant facilities have been provided for domestic and foreign traders across all customs offices, and further support will be offered to encourage the import of quality medicines through other routes.

The announcement follows a recent call by the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs urging industrialists and traders to shift their trade from Pakistan to alternative routes.

He warned that the IEA would not take responsibility for any problems arising from continued reliance on Pakistan.

“There is no doubt that the main problem in our health sector—and the reason hundreds of millions of dollars leave the country annually—is the import of low-quality medicines from Pakistan,” he said. “I strongly urge all medicine importers to shift their imports to other countries and routes as soon as possible.”

sa