SLPMA launches five-pillar blueprint for pharma export hub vision

The Sri Lanka Pharma Manufacturers Association (SLPMA) has unveiled a five-pillar survival blueprint with  a powerful national call to action urging all stakeholders to come together in a bold, unified effort to shape a future where Sri Lanka emerges as a trusted, high-quality and export-driven pharmaceutical manufacturing hub,

The plan demands immediate government action, starting with Policy & Investment Climate reforms: a consistent long-term policy to boost confidence, an urgent 5-year extension of the critical buyback agreement, and elimination of the crippling 18 percent VAT disparity that makes local manufacturers uncompetitive (they pay VAT on imported raw materials, while finished imports are exempt).

Simultaneously, the SLPMA calls for an Enabling Regulatory Framework which includes faster product registrations through a dedicated NMRA channel for local manufacturers, and crucially, exemption from price controls in the private retail market where they hold only ~5 percent share in arguing market forces naturally regulate prices for small-scale, high-cost producers.

The association firmly reaffirms its Commitment to Quality & Integrity, pledging adherence to the highest standards of safety, efficacy, and ethical manufacturing. To address brain drain, the Development of Human Talent pillar proposes university curriculum upgrades, international training programmes, and expanded industrial training access.

Finally, Investment in R&D & Local Inputs is vital for innovation and reducing import dependence.