BELARUSIAN ECONOMY & TRADE

MINSK, Feb 23 (Prime-Tass) -- Belarus’ state company Belmedpreparaty, a producer of pharmaceutical goods, based in Minsk, plans to start in 2005 a 3.4 million euro upgrade of its pill production facilities to receive a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificate and promote its products on foreign markets, a source with the administration of the company told Prime-Tass Tuesday.

The project is on the list of key investment projects of the country, and is to be carried out by the end of 2006. The upgrade is financed from Belarusbank’s loans.

The current capacity of the company is at 1 billion pills a year, and it is likely to remain the same after the upgrade. The key task is to introduce new technologies compatible with the GMP standards, the source said.

Earlier, the company drafted a U.S. $22 million business plan, which had to be given up after Belmedpreparaty decided not to construct a new building.

Last spring the Belarusian government approved as the basis the state program of improvement of quality and increase in the competitive ability of export oriented Belarus-made goods for 2004-2006. It was planned to step up the operation of Belarus’ food industry, which products are to be in full conformity with the international Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCR) standards, while Belarus’ pharmaceutics should conform to GMP standards.

Specialists believe the upgrade is important for Belarus not to lose its position on the Russian market, which has introduced the GMP conformance requirement regarding supplies of medicines for state needs. Some specialists believe Belmedpreparaty launches the upgrade too late to retain its position on the Russian market.

Belmedpreparaty was founded in 1929 and transformed into a joint stock company in 1995. In 2004 it became a state-owned company again. Belmedpreparaty produces 300 medicines and blood substitutes. The company exports half of its output. In 2004 the company started registering its products in the European Union. End

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Belmedpreparaty to start 3.4 mln euro pill production upgrade in ‘05