Worried over the continuous exit of pharmaceutical companies from the country, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Mohammed-Sani Musa, has pledged to champion a more friendly tax regime to stop the trend.
He made the pledge in Abuja on Tuesday at a symposium organised by a non-governmental organisation, Project Pink Blue, to commemorate the 2024 World Cancer Day, celebrated annually on February 4.
The Senator, who is one of the panellists to discuss the topic, ‘Economy, tax and cancer control: The exit of pharmaceutical companies from Nigeria’, said that the senate would make legislation on tax administration.
According to him, the Senate would see how it would conveniently give pharmaceutical companies the opportunity to bring more benefits to Nigerians while the government takes little from them.
According to him, Nigeria’s economic indicators are challenging, and the inflation rate is high, but if the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu is pursued vigorously, Nigeria will overcome some of the challenges.
Musa, however, said Nigerians must encourage the regulatory agencies to be able to perform their functions and put the country on the right path.
The wife of former Kebbi State governor, Dr Zainab-Shinkafi Bagudu, who was among the panellists, said that local manufacturing companies must be encouraged to stay back in the country.
She called on the government to make the environment more conducive for business and with better government policy, stressing that if companies continued to exit the country, there would be an increase in cancer patients.
Bagudu said that early detection was the best solution to gradually end the cancer scourge in the country, and advocated for more awareness to be created at the grassroots on the disease.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the government was intervening in different ways to curb the cancer epidemic in the country.
According to him, cancer is a chronic disease that needs true management and a multi-dimensional approach to tackle, adding that the government was working on tackling the menace through education.
He noted that educating the citizens and taking precautionary measures to prevent the disease is the best solution to curb it.
He said that in October 2023, the FG was able to roll out the Human Papilloma virus vaccine for young adolescents to help prevent the cancer epidemic.
Alausa, however, debunked claims that pharmaceutical companies are leaving Nigeria due to difficulties in doing business, stressing that their exit is due to refusal to obey Nigeria’s pharmaceutical laws.
He said that the companies refused to domesticate their production, which is one of the contents of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical law, hence the reason for their leaving.
The minister said that the government was working towards building six new cancer care centres in each of the six geo-political zones of the country in the next few weeks.
Alausa disclosed that a substantial increase had been granted to the healthcare budget to supplement the initial budget that was allocated for the cancer centres.
He said, for better management of the fund, it had been moved to the National Institute for Cancer Research.
He added, “We are also upgrading our infrastructure and equipment in the hospital; we are investing in equipping the hospitals with more diagnosis equipment, x-ray and other machines; this will enhance the ability to diagnose cancer early and start treatment early.
“We also have the National Cancer Fund that is being managed in the ministry, to support people with cancer.
“The movement of this fund is to enhance treatment and to better manage the fund with the use of technology, so the government is very more responsive to its citizens.”
The minister said that President Tinubu was passionate about making the health sector better for all Nigerians.
Speaking also, the Executive Director, PPB, Mr Runcie Chidebe, explained that what brought about the topic of the symposium was the high cost of oncology medications in recent times.
He lamented that many patients are now suffering because they cannot afford to pay for the medications, stressing that it is a crucial issue everyone needs to be concerned about.
According to him, Nigerians, including the private sector, government and all stakeholders, should have a discourse on steps to be taken to make the drugs affordable for cancer patients.
Chidebe said it was time for the government to decentralise cancer control and not leave everything to FG, this was even as he said the state governments should also play their parts for cancer patients’ care.
(NAN)
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