Doubtful Customs Statistics on Import of Medicines

On October 5 the Tariff (Price) Council set on prices for 1,126 drugs, 1,079 of which will take effect from December 1, the Ministry of Economy and Industry said.

According to the ministry, as of today the government has set prices for 2,183 drugs, 53% of which are two times lower than the former ones, and 28% are more than three times lower. In general, prices for 98% of these drugs will be lower than before the customs control.

According to official statistics, Azerbaijan meets 99% of the needs for medical products through imports. In this regard, noteworthy is the fact that customs data on the volume of imports of drugs in Azerbaijan causes great doubt among experts.

The fact is that according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, in the first eight months of this year, official imports of medicines amounted to $ 185 million, which is 16.3% more than in the comparable period of 2014. During this period, Georgia, where there is sufficient potential for substantial production, imported drugs for $ 428.2 million, or two times more than in January-August 2014 ($ 201.3 million). At the same time, Georgia exported medication for $ 84.5 million (+42%). Azerbaijan also in this period exported drugs for $ 0.4 million, reducing exports by $ 11 million. -----08B