Minister Soodesh Callichurn announced, during the Private Notice Question, that government is considering the concept of regressive margins and amending the law to allow parallel importation. He explained that a technical committee had been set up to study the margin issue. The body has set up a sub-committee which has met once and plans to meet next week. On parallel importation, Soodesh Callichurn said the Industrial Property Act needs to be amended. He added that he had raised the issue with his Foreign Affairs colleague. Finally, he said that the issue of generics is more the responsibility of the Ministry of Health.
Xavier-Luc Duval pointed out that no representative of the Ministry of International Trade is on this committee and that the WHO representative in Mauritius has never been contacted by the committee. The Opposition Leader also insisted on knowing when a letter would be sent from the Ministry of Commerce to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding a possible amendment to the Industrial Property Act. Soodesh Callichurn could not give the date.
Soodesh Callichurn pointed out that his Ministry, irrespective of the work of the above-mentioned committee, is considering the application of various margins on different drugs.
