Srilanka, Feb. 17 -- The Sri Lanka Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (SLPMA) urged the government to create a level playing field for domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers to compete with imported pharmaceutical products.

SLPMA Chief asserted that domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers are competing with imported pharmaceutical products on an uneven playing field due to taxes imposed on critical packaging material imports required to produce various pharmaceutical products domestically.

However, in contrast, no such taxes are imposed on fully imported pharmaceutical products entering the country.

According to SLPMA, a 24 percent tax is imposed on imported packaging materials.

"Although locally produced pharmaceuticals supply ...