Growth in pharma sector

KARACHI: This is with reference to your report of May 28 titled ‘Pharmaceutical sector growth slowing down: BMI’.

Prices of pharmaceutical products are regulated by the federal government but mostly in theory only. This is because many products, with imported components, have been launched in the recent past at substantially high prices. Furthermore, many of the companies themselves have not been doing well in terms of keeping costs low and in reducing management inefficiencies. This in turn negatively affects shareholders whose return on investment declines. One would appreciate it if the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan were to do its bit and safeguard the rights of minority shareholders.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 7th, 2010.