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| Thursday, February 28, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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HEALTHCARE Encouragement to private participation and rationalisation of duty structure is what the government needs to do in the Union Budget 2002, to help improve the healthcare sector, especially pharmaceutical industry, which has the potential to expand worldwide, opine experts. According to the Confederation of Indian industries (CII), the healthcare sector should be extended infrastructure status, so as to increase the flow of investments to this sector. Private sector participants need to be provided necessary tax breaks so that they can improve their cash flows and stay invested in the projects with a long term plan, the spokesperson for the CII stated. In its pre-budget memorandum for the year 2002-03, CII has pointed out that the main hindrance to the proper development of healthcare services is inadequate return of investments. Regarding the Rs 2,500 crore pharmaceutical industry, which ranks fourth in the world in terms of volumes, R&D capabilities need to be strengthened with additional investments in research, say industrialists. "In the post-WTO era, the industry needs to strengthen it's intrinsic R&D capabilities while government needs to encourage investments by providing benefits like waiving off of customs duty on import of R&D equipment", said Mr V.K. Mehta, Managing Director Ind-Swift Laboratories. He suggested that setting up of a threshold limit for R&D expenditure, which might be a specific percentage of the company's turnover, above which financial assistance be provided. "Tax exemptions or rebates for companies involved in research and development of new products would go a long way in improvement of the sector", he said. Industrialists emphasised on rationalisation of duty structure so as to promote indigenous production in the pharmaceutical industry. "As some life-saving drugs are now manufactured in the country itself, such imported drugs should be removed from the list of nil custom duty", stated CII. As the government is not in a position to inject large sums to the system to improve facilities, a greater private sector participation is essential, they said. According to industrialists, the current duty structure is inconsistent with the aim of promoting indigenous production. "Taxes should not be charged for life-saving drugs that are indigenously manufactured", said Mr P.S. Chhatwal, managing director, Torque Pharmaceuticals. Such drugs like Atacuronium Besylate, Desmopressin, Iohexol, Prazocin, Sodium Hyaluronidate, Somatostatin, Vecuronium Bromide, Octeotride, Lamivudine, Amifostine, Didium Pamidronate, should be deleted from the exempted list of nil custom duty as these are now produced in India, said the CII. While vaccines that are not being manufactured in India, like those for chickenpox should be included in the exempted list of nil custom duty, bulk drugs and their formulations such as Lamivudine, Stavidine, Nevirapine, Didanosine, Indinavir, Atacuronium Besylate, Prazocin, Sodium Hyaluronidate, Somatostatin, Vecuronium Bromide, Octeotride, Amifostine, Diodium Pamidronate, Leuprolide, Cisplatin, which are used in the treatment of life-threatening diseases such as HIV, AIDS and cancer, need to be added to the excise duty exemption list, say industrialists. They said that immunisation vaccines like Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and polio should be fully exempted from customs duty as they are life-threatening diseases and it is essential to develop an immune system against these diseases across the country.
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'Remove garbage to ward off plague' Ludhiana, February 27 The whole city seems to be a garbage dump. Now is the right time to take steps to remove the garbage". Householders, too, have the responsibility of not only keeping their houses clean, but also the environment clean. Surat has set up a good example. After the town suffered from plague, the Municipal Corporation and residents supported each other and got rid of all the garbage. Dr Dhanoa said that CMC was geared up to face any challenges posed by any disease — be it cholera, dengue or worst comes to worse even plague. |
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Trials for state games Ludhiana, February 27 Giving details of the games to be held during the three-day games organised by the Punjab Sports Department, Mr Lotey said competition in athletics (boys and girls); volleyball (boys); weightlifting (boys and girls); kho-kho (girls); hockey (boys and girls); kabaddi (boys and girls); wrestling (boys); football (boys); and gymnastics (girls) will be conducted. Players born on or after January 1, 1981, are eligible. Interested boys and girls have been advised to bring with them their age proof certificates. The schedule for the trials is: Weightlifting: Guru Nanak Stadium on March 1 at 8 am; athletics: Guru Nanak Stadium on March 4 at 8 am; volleyball: Guru Nanak Stadium on March 4 at 8 am; kho-kho: Guru Nanak Stadium on March 4 at 8 am; kabaddi: Guru Nanak Stadium on March 4 at 8 am; football: Guru Nanak Stadium on March 4 at 8 am; gymnastics: Guru Nanak Stadium on March 4 at 8 am; wrestling: Guru Nanak Stadium on March 5 at 8 am; and hockey: PAU on March 6 at 8 am. Applications invited:
According to a press note issued by Mr S.L. Lotey, District Sports Officer, Ludhiana, interested parties are advised to submit applications with details of achievements in the field of sports by their respective institutions during the past 10 years. These applications should reach the office of the District Sports Department by February 28 so that the same could be forwarded to the Director, Sports, Punjab, for approval. Sahnewal |
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