Imported drugs used to treat many rare diseases, including some rare forms of cancer, attract customs duty of 5 to 10 per cent. These medicines are very expensive. They become more expensive due to import duty.
New Delhi. The central government has abolished import duty on medicines and food items used in the treatment of rare diseases. This exemption will be available on all drugs and food for special medical purposes imported for personal use.
The import duty exemption will come into effect from April 1, 2023. The government has also exempted pembrolizumab, used in the treatment of various forms of cancer, from customs duty. Medicines generally attract 10 per cent customs duty, while some categories of life-saving drugs attract 5 per cent customs duty.
Significantly, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had written a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman a few days ago, appealing for exemption from customs duty on the imported medicine used in the treatment of a girl child suffering from rare cancer. An injection worth Rs 65 lakh was needed for the treatment of this girl named Niharika.
About 7 lakh rupees tax was being levied on this. The girl’s parents were unable to pay this tax and they told their problem to Tharoor. Now the government has given a big relief to the people by abolishing the import duty on all the medicines used in the treatment of all rare diseases. With this step of the government, the injection for the treatment of Niharika’s cancer has also become cheaper by Rs 7 lakh.
Disease should be listed
In a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Finance, it has been said that if someone personally imports medicines used in the treatment of some rare diseases, then he will not have to pay customs duty. This disease should be listed under the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021.
Have to give certificate
To avail this exemption, the individual importer has to produce a certificate issued by the Central or State Director Health Services or the District Medical Officer/Civil Surgeon of the district, certifying that the disease comes under rare disease. It may be noted that customs duty exemption has already been granted to drugs specified for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy or Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
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