Business

Shortage of medicines likely to exacerbate from Paracetamol to life-saving drugs: SLCPI

Published

5 years ago

2022/03/3

From left: Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry Treasurer Dinesh Athapaththu, Vice President Azam Jaward, Senior Vice President M. Prathaban, President Sanjiva Wijesekera, Immediate Past President Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson, Council Members Adrian Basnayake and Jude Fernando

by Sanath Nanayakkare

The current shortage of Paracetamol and Panadol in the market could aggravate to a situation where life-saving drugs would not be available to patients in a few months, Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (SLCPI) warned yesterday.

“This could happen if the US dollar shortage is not properly addressed and a realistic pricing formula for imported medicines is not introduced forthwith by the authorities,” they said.

“At present, the shortage of medicines is about 5%. One might say it is small or unimportant as to be not worth considering. But in 4-6 weeks from now it could increase to about 25%,” they warned.

SLCPI made these comments at a press briefing held at Taj Samudra Colombo.

“We have a fear. We want to update the general public of Sri Lanka on the current situation with regard to medicine imports because what is on the horizons is not good. Delays at the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), the unrealistic price mechanism and the dollar crisis are biting our industry. The dollar crisis is common to every industry, but we also have a serious problem as medicine importers. Until last month, we didn’t have a major crisis. But this month and in the last two weeks, the banks have been advised to prioritise allocation of dollars for fuel purchases and it appears that medicine imports have received de-prioritisation on the list of essential imports. If this trend continues, we will have a serious problem in even importing life-saving drugs. At the moment, it is under control. We have to inform the general public of the evolving situation,” Azam Jaward, Vice President, SLCPI said.

“The last price increase on drugs was allowed in August 2021 when the USD was trading at Rs. 194. Now the dollar has incresed to Rs. 203 which is the ‘published rate’ by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, but unfortunately there is no mechanism to address the current disparity in the exchange rate. We need asustainable pricing mechanism which addresses the exchange rate, freight rate, current global prices, inflation, cost of fuel etc,” they said.

“Our industry is quite energy-driven. Some drugs need to be stored in temperatures between 2- 8 Celsius. Some need -20 Celsius. If we don’t have electricity, we face big issues. We have to run generators and multiple storage facilities. At present, we are managing it. But all of this depends on the availability of fuel. To run a generator for 7-8 hours a day, we need 2,000 litres of diesel per day,” they said.

“The NMRA charges dollars from us to register a product. They adjust it monthly based on the change of the exchange rate. The government has a fee- charging mechanism based on the US dollar. Then why don’t they do the same for drugs that are imported for sale? These are two conflicting policies,” they argued.

“We don’t need a price increase. Just amend the prices relative to the value of the dollar. For this we need an intervention by the Central Bank. If we can obtain a monthly allocation of USD 25-30 million per month, we believe that we can supply essential drugs to the general public without any disruption,” they said.

“We have had discussions with the authorities on these matters and we have submitted these facts for them to consider, but we have not yet achieved any results other than discussions.There is undue delay at the NMRA in granting the re-registration of products which have been available in the market for a considerable period, and new product registrations. With regulatory fees increasing by an average of 11-fold, the service of the regulator is below expectation,” they said.

Some excerpts of the SLCPI press statement are reproduced below.

“Over 85% of pharmaceutical products are imported, and these imports are paid for by US dollars. The current US dollar shortage in the country has increased the difficulty of importing essential medicines. In addition to this, companies have been unable to pay their dues. As a result, suppliers are no longer interested in supplying to Sri Lanka.”

“The situation is further worsened as banks find it difficult to honour the Letters of Credit (LCs) that are opened to import drugs. Banks delay opening the LCs until there are sufficient dollars. This has resulted in shipments being scheduled according to the availability of dollars and not according to the needs of the patients.”

acceptable pricing mechanism as well as immediately ironing out NMRA red tape for registrations are prerequisites for resolving this crisis.”

SLCPI serves as the representative of over 60 members who account for more than 80% of the private pharmaceutical industry, spanning manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers. These stakeholders supply Sri Lankan patients with 1,200 molecules from 435 manufacturers from across the world.

SLCPI told The Island that banks ask them to purchase dollars from exporters to finance their medicine imports, but when they reach exporters to buy their dollars, they ask Rs. 245 per US dollar which is the price in the gray market. “So, how can we buy dollars from them and import and sell at controlled prices?” they said.

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Business

“ViYASA” National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC) to be opened tomorrow (22)

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/21

Priyan

The National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC), which is being established under the Presidential Secretariat with the aim of removing administrative and regulatory barriers that exist among government institutions in relation to investment and industry and expediting these processes, will be opened tomorrow (22).

The centre is being established on the President’s initiative with the aim of bringing about a positive transformation in the industrial sector. The centre will provide solutions to issues that arise in dealing with the government machinery when starting and operating a business, while also coordinating with the relevant government institutions to provide the necessary facilities.

The “ViYASA” National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC) has been established at Building C-80, Hector Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, Colombo 07, and is headed by Senior Additional( Secretary to the President, Seevali Arukgoda.

The centre will be opened under the patronage of Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr Anil Jayantha Fernando and Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, with the participation of Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The website https://nbfc.presidentsoffice.gov.lk is also scheduled to be officially launched on the occasion.

President’s Media Division)

Business

Charting a worker-centered AI future: Colombo hosts landmark ITF conference

Published

22 hours ago

2026/09/21

Thilina Walpola

The ITF’s first-ever AI-focused global conference and the first of its kind hosted in Sri Lanka

By Sanath Nanayakkare

Artificial intelligence and automation present serious challenges for workers – such as job consequences seen in docks and rail systems – and emphasises that workers cannot simply stop technological progress. By gathering young trade unionists in Sri Lanka, the ITF aims to establish key principles for engaging with technology, ensuring workers have a strong voice at the bargaining table, and encouraging constructive social dialogue with corporations and governments.

These compelling words from ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton underscored the urgent reality facing modern labor as rapid technological advancements sweep across global industries.

Confronting this shifting landscape head-on, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), in partnership with the National Union of Seafarers of Sri Lanka (NUSS), convened a ground-breaking conference on artificial intelligence in Colombo from September 15–17.

As the ITF’s first-ever AI-focused global conference and the first of its kind hosted in Sri Lanka, the landmark event marked a critical milestone in balancing technological innovation with worker-centered safeguards.

Representing over 16.6 million transport workers worldwide, the ITF designed the gathering to tackle the multifaceted impacts of AI on safety, operations, workforce development, and governance. Rather than resisting progress, the conference focused on proactive engagement, establishing guiding principles to protect workers’ rights and privacy both at sea and on land.

Key discussions centred on sharing best practices for upskilling and reskilling transport personnel, ensuring that human oversight remains central to AI-driven logistics, routing, and maintenance.

Reflecting on the historic nature of the event, Boa Athu, CEO of National Union of Seafarers Asia Pacific, noted that the conference represented a monumental moment as AI emerges as a permanent fixture of contemporary life.

Highlighting NUSS’s pride in hosting the event in Colombo, Athu emphasised that AI offers transformative potential when guided by strong social dialogue, equitable access to training, and robust governance safeguards.

Ultimately, the Colombo conference demonstrated that the future of transport must be shaped by those who keep the world moving. By uniting international labour leaders, affiliates, port operators, and regulators, the event laid a vital foundation for inclusive policy frameworks that champion fair labour standards, securing a powerful voice for workers in an automated tomorrow.

Business

Bridging the digital divide: Sri Lanka’s airport licence challenge

Published

23 hours ago

2026/09/21

Thilina Walpola

As tourism surges from digitally advanced markets like India, modern independent travelers arriving at BIA find themselves caught in a mismatch between cloudstored credentials and local paper-based transport protocols.

By Sanath Nanayakkare

As Sri Lanka experiences a surge in visitors from its largest tourist market, India, a modern administrative hurdle has emerged at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

While nations like India and Pakistan have successfully transitioned to fully digital driving licences and cashless ecosystems, Sri Lanka’s Department of Motor Traffic counter still requires a physical card to issue temporary local permits, The Island Financial Review learns.

This mismatch creates significant friction for independent travelers who rely entirely on smartphones and cloud-stored credentials. Tourists turned away at the airport – and sometimes redirected to the Werahera office in vain – find themselves unable to legally rent and drive vehicles. Consequently, this policy gap harms local car rental operators, causes tourist frustration, and deprives the government of valuable permit revenue.

The situation highlights a distinct irony: Sri Lankan motorists easily travel abroad using International Driving Permits that are readily accepted in India and Pakistan, yet local infrastructure cannot reciprocate due to outdated verification systems.

Recognizing the problem, Department of Motor Traffic officials have noted that upgrades and new equipment are currently in the works to integrate foreign digital platforms.

For a nation aggressively pursuing a national digitalisation drive, rapidly modernising these transport protocols is essential to keeping pace with global travelers and unlocking the full potential of its tourism economy.