Sales tax on pharma raw materials to be slashed: Qadir Patel.

ISLAMABAD -- Minister for Health Abdul Qadir on Monday announced that sales tax on pharma raw materials is being slashed after the reservations, media reported.

Talking to the media in Polyclinic Hospital, Qadir Patel said the issue of 17pc sales tax on pharma raw materials was raised with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The government has decided to reduce sales tax on the raw material to 1pc from 17 per cent.

Punjab province is facing a shortage of life-saving drugs with pharmaceutical manufacturers blaming sales tax on raw material behind the shortage.

According to details, only limited stock of more than 40 life-saving drugs dealing with fever, aches, mental stress, asthma, cancer, cardiac arrest, infection in lungs, diabetes, blood pressure...