Shortage of Life-Saving Medicines in Punjab Due to High Sales Tax

There is a shortage of life-saving medicines being reported in Punjab province and pharmaceutical companies are blaming imposition of high sales tax on raw materials as a reason behind the shortage.

According to the details, there is shortage of several life-saving medicines throughout the province of Punjab, including those for fever, aches, mental stress, asthma, cancer, cardiac arrest, infection in lungs, diabetes, blood pressure, hepatitis, and other diseaes.

The pharmaceutical companies have stated that import of raw materials needed for the manufacturing of these drugs has been halted after imposition of high sales tax by the federal government on the raw materials.

“The manufacturing cost of the life-saving drugs has increased after the sales tax,” said the companies, while adding that medicines would only be manufactured after reversal of the tax.

Therefore, a shortage of live-saving medicines is being reported throughout Punjab, especially in major cities and many people are reporting that these drugs are being sold at high rates if they are available.

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