The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana (PMAG) is urging the government to intervene decisively to recover millions of dollars owed by several West African countries for medicines supplied by Ghanaian pharmaceutical companies.
Addressing the media in Accra, Dr Samuel Amo Tobbin, Executive Chairman of the Tobinco Group of Companies and President of PMAG, said the mounting debts owed by governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast and others in the Sahel region, excluding Nigeria, have become a major threat to the stability of local manufacturers.
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He warned that continued delays in payment could cripple pharmaceutical businesses and undermine Ghana’s ambition of becoming a pharmaceutical hub in the sub-region.
Dr Tobbin noted that while he would not disclose exact figures, the outstanding amount was “substantial” and required urgent, high-level engagement to retrieve.
He appealed to government to leverage diplomatic channels, including collaboration between heads of state, to recover the funds.
He stressed that the debts were owed by state institutions, not private entities, making government intervention crucial. “If our president or Parliament can support us in any way to get our money, perhaps by coordinating with their counterparts in these countries, we would be very grateful,” he said.
Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr Mark Kurt Nawaane, acknowledged the challenges confronting the pharmaceutical sector and pledged that the Committee would initiate discussions with the government, the Health Ministry and relevant officials at the Presidency. He said the goal was to address the bottlenecks and help expand the industry’s investment and growth capacity both “horizontally and vertically.”
