By Own Correspondent | An MP today leaked what could be the whole secret on drug shortages in the country. Arguing before parliament, HON Mukhulani Tavengwa, Mhondoro Ngezi MP (ZANU PF) said over USD30million hard currency has been misappropriated by a cabal.

While the names of people in the cabal were not revealed, MP Tavengwa said:

“But Madam speaker maam, between March 2018 and August of 2018, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe did allocate an amount of 30 million US Dollars for the sole purpose of procurement of medicines for this country.

“It is interesting to note that you need around USD40 million to up the production of the 8 pharmaceutical companies in this country. So, USD30 million comes out of the reserve bank, which is almost the same amount that is needed to up the production services of this country and yet still at the time when this report was done, there were no medicines, regardless of the 30 million having been paid out.

“What has happened in Zimbabwe is a sad state in that we have technically converted Zimbabwe into one big pharmaceutical free market where a cabal, or a set of a few players who own the wholesale, control the procurement and distribution of medicines.

“Natpharm is supposed to be the sole procurer of medicines for the use within the public sector. The procurement, the storage, and the distribution.

“That position has been taken by big wholesalers who are accessing foreign currency from the reserve bank. That should stop. The ideal situation that should be in this country madam speaker ma’am, is that Natpharm should be the first priority in terms of allocation of forex so that they procure medicines for the country.”