Senate urges FG to implement 75% import duty on needles, syringes

The Senate has urged the federal government to accelerate the implementation of 75 percent import duties on syringes and needles.

The Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Oloriegbe Ibrahim, presented in a report of the Joint Committee on Health, Trade and Investment and Customs, Excise and Tariffs.

The report is on the need to regulate manufacturing, importation and use of syringes and needles to protect the safety of Nigerians and the economy, thereby encouraging local manufacturers and ensuring employment opportunities.

According to him, the committee observed that oral statements and memorandum collated from stakeholders indicated that the majority of imported syringes and needles are substandard, unsterile, used and rewashed syringes from the Asian continent.

“This, was endangering the lives, health and safety of Nigerians.

“This, was leading to mass importation of cheap, substandard and unsterile syringes and needles.

“The importation of syringes and needles was killing local manufacturers and making them lay off staff.

“This, led to government-owned hospitals and medical centres to sometimes procure and use substandard syringes and needles,”  Ibrahim said.

He said despite several policies of the Federal Government, especially the introduction of 75 per cent import duties on imported syringes and needles to deter importation, the NCS has not been able to effectively enforce the policy.

The Federal Ministry of Health does not have a standard policy on the procurement and utilisation of syringes and needles by government-owned hospitals and agencies.

It also urged the Federal Ministry of Health to develop a policy on procurement and utilisation of syringes and needles by government hospitals and offices from July 1.

The report further said that, within six weeks, all federal government-owned hospitals should begin to use locally manufactured syringes and needles to strengthen local manufacturing.

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