Ali Aoun: Lobbies Want to Impose French Pharmaceutical Product on Algeria

The recent issue of dental anaesthetics was not a problem of scarcity, but rather a problem of lobbies that wanted to impose the French medicine that Algeria had rejected, the Minister of Industry and Pharmaceutical Production, Ali Aoun, said, on Monday.

Minister Ali Aoun denounced what was raised about the issue of dental anaesthesia recently, describing it as dangerous behaviour, adding, in a speech to the press during his inspection visit to Bouira, that the issue was not a problem of scarcity, but rather a problem of lobbies, which he did not name, that wanted to impose the French medicine, whose price exceeds three times the price of the existing medicine.

Aoun explained that this matter “was rejected by us, which some people did not like,” reassuring in the same context that the drug is currently available to a sufficient extent, whether in public hospitals or private clinics, adding: “We will not talk in the future about a drug problem, because it is available and stable.”

Aoun said that the industry in Algeria, and through the reports received from the directors of industry in the wilayas, is proceeding encouragingly, highlighting that 85% of the industry is in the hands of private investors, which is a good thing – according to him – adding that these investors have to search for the largest possible sources of funding instead of being satisfied with the support provided by the state, to ensure that they finally develop the industry in the country.

During his visit to the wilaya of Bouira, the Minister of Industry inaugurated a production unit for the manufacture of bicycles and motorcycles – VMS Industrie – located in the industrial zone of Oued El Bardi, which employs approximately 440 workers, as it extends over an area estimated at 7,000 square meters, and with a production capacity of more than 20 units per year.

During his inspection tour, the minister called for the need to direct investments towards the southern regions to benefit from the privileges offered by the investment law. He also appreciated the integration rate achieved, especially through the use of the locally manufactured “fer plat” iron.

Aoun described this new unit as a “pride for the state” in moving the wheel of development and the economy, noting that, within the framework of lifting obstacles to investment projects, this factory was inaugurated according to the recommendations of the President of the Republic, after an “unjustified” six-month hiatus, and he mentioned that the industry and pharmaceutical production sector encourages this type of industry and will work for the advancement of this sector.