Indonesia, Madagascar discuss medicine trade

CIBITUNG, West Java (JP): Indonesia has expressed its readiness to export generic medicines to Madagascar.

Director General for Drug and Food Control Wisnu Katim said here yesterday that Indonesia already exports medicines to countries such as Myanmar, Sudan and Vietnam. Indonesia exported US$440,000 worth of medicines to Sudan in 1994.

Wisnu said that Madagascar has yet to make an official request but said that an export agreement is a possibility. Wisnu and Minister of Health Sujudi were accompanying President of Madagascar Zafy Albert during his visit to the state-run pharmaceutical company PT Indofarma.

Zafy said his country is rich in raw materials for medicines. However, he said, the materials are often taken to other countries where they are made into medicines and sold back to Madagascar at higher prices.

"It's difficult to find medicines at affordable prices," Albert said.

Despite government denials, drug prices in Indonesia are said to be among the highest in the Asia-Pacific region because of the country's reliance on imported raw materials.

The annual per capita consumption of medicine in Indonesia, at $5 a person, is the lowest in the region, compared with $14 in the Philippines, $12 in Malaysia, $42 in Singapore and $13 in Thailand.

The country's total sales of medicine in 1994 were only US$900 million, compared with $1.4 billion in Taiwan and $925 million in the Philippines. (31)