Vice President Dr. Philip Mpango has said the government recognizes the struggle in the construction of pharmaceutical factories but since the decision is made by President Dr. Samia Suluhi Hassan, no one will be able to stop them, so they will be built.

He said that currently the government imports 80 percent of medicines and 90 percent of medical equipment from abroad, a situation that causes shortages of equipment and high costs of importing health equipment, so it is necessary to take difficult decisions.

Speaking in Njombe Region during the laying of the foundation stone for the construction of a gloves factory managed by the Medicines Department (MSD), Vice President Dr. Mpango said the government recognizes the struggle in the construction of these pharmaceutical factories.

He said, President Dr. Samia has decided that these factories will be built at any cost because the country has a shortage of medicines and medical equipment.

“These products are imported, 80 percent of medicines and 90 percent of medical equipment. We have decided to give MSD four responsibilities, which are production, procurement, and maintenance. I assure you that these factories will be built.

“The construction of these factories aims to increase the availability of medicines and medical equipment, reduce foreign exchange spending, shortages of medicines, high costs of importing these products, and create jobs,” he said.

He praised the progress of the project, which has now reached 90 percent from 30 percent, where President Samia found construction completed by local experts in collaboration with the relevant authorities.

“The existence of this factory is very important for domestic and international needs during the Corona period. We were very worried about the use of gloves. This factory is a savior, so the goal of President Dr. Samia must be achieved,” he stressed.

He added that the government will continue to facilitate access to medicines and medical equipment.

Dr. Mpango said they are in the process of increasing capital for MSD to build factories and warehouses and increase access to medicines and medical equipment.

“I want the factory to start production immediately on January 1, 2024 and this factory will not leave here, it will remain, it will produce. I order MSD to increase the production of other medical fluids and reagents and the MSD subsidiary company to focus on commercial principles and employees to focus on patriotism.

“I also ordered and I emphasize again that all employees should be vetted, those who are used by businessmen for the benefit of their pockets, we should take action, if given guarantees in public institutions, they should focus on ethics,” he said.

Dr. Mpango explained that he has spoken to President Dr. Samia was present at the event and ordered the Regional and Local Government Administrations (RALGA), through the Rural Roads Agency, to conduct an assessment of the construction of the road to the factory which requires 1.4 billion to be built to the asphalt standard.

“That is the President’s greeting whispered to him here and here, he said he will not fail to build this road so I am giving RALGA two weeks to complete the assessment and start construction,” he said.

He also ordered the Ministry of Finance to ensure that the funds allocated to reduce MSD’s debt are released as soon as possible so that they do not continue to cry.

And the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Godwin Molel, said, the ministry recognizes the great revolution being made by President Dr. Samia and his government in revolutionizing the industrial sector, especially the pharmaceutical sector.

Due to this situation, he promised that the ministry will ensure that nothing is stalled and the factory will start production away from the current major conflict.

"We will come out safe. Minister Ummy will ensure that this factory produces, we know the war is big and the challenges are many, we will cooperate with parliament and other institutions and we will go," he said.

For his part, MSD Director General Mavere Tukai said the factory has started initial production and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

He stressed that the factory will help boost the economy and within eight years it will return profits, where in the first year the profit will be more than one billion and 200 direct and temporary jobs.

He said the Idofi gloves factory until completed will cost 22.5 billion shillings, after the completion of construction and installation of machinery, this factory will have the capacity to produce 20,000 gloves per hour, equivalent to 10,000 pairs, thus producing approximately 86,400,000 pairs per year.

"This is equivalent to 83.4 percent of the estimated demand for gloves in the country of 104 million pairs according to the demand forecast for gloves in the country for the year 2023/2024," he said.