THE Tanzania Pharmaceutical Industries (TPI) is constructing a state-of-the-art factory in Arusha at the cost of 5 million Euros that will, among other things, triple production and double employment.

The TPI Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ramadhani Madabida said in Dar es Salaam that the factory will be handed over in November this year and actual production is expected to start in March, next year.

"This is the first biggest pharmaceutical factory in Southern Saharan Africa with exception of South Africa, it is equipped with the latest technologies," he said. He said that the factory's construction was made possible by aid from the European Union through a programme dubbed aid for poverty related diseases in developing countries.

"We inked a 5 million Euros contract with the EU for the construction of the factory in November, 2006 on the condition that we would dish out 727,000 Euros and provide a plot for the construction and now the construction work is done with all the machinery installed," he said.

"We expect to double the number of employees from the current 101 to 200 and we are expecting to triple production capacity," he said. A team of journalists toured the factory in Arusha over the weekend and witnessed a complete modern factory awaiting production to commence.

Mr Madabida said that machines were waiting to undergo tests and the Tanzania Food and Drug Authority (TFDA) would inspect the factory for certification. The factory is equipped with modern standby generators and clean air systems and has its own drilled water reservoir that is installed with water treatment machines to ensure efficiency in production.

This comes at a time when the government recently issued a notice to TPI to stop production following production of fake Antiretroviral Drugs (ARVs) which are claimed to be produced by the company who are the sole producer and distributer of the drugs in the country.

The TPI management has, however, categorically denied responsibility in the controversy of the fake drugs saying that they neither have the technology nor the equipment to produce the drugs.

The TPI Executive Director, Mrs Zarina Madabida said recently in Dar es Salaam that TPI produces TT-VIR 30 with oval shaped tablets whereas the fake drugs are round shaped TT-VR 30.

She said that while the TT-VIR 30 tablets are white in colour and marked TPI on one side and T 30 on the other side, the TT-VR 30 have a white colour on one side and yellow on the other. "We do not have the technology that can produce tablets in a round shape and in two colours, the product is simply not ours," she said.

When asked about the packaging, Mrs Madabida said that TPI does not manufacture packages, but orders the same from Nairobi, Kenya. However, despite the notice, Mr Madabida said that he was optimistic that the truth would be out sooner.

"People will know what really happened and I am optimistic that our plans will continue smoothly because we have never engaged ourselves in any dubious production of medicines," he said.

Source : allafrica.com