In strategic move aimed at addressing the concerns of the exporters, the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) issued an order directing all the ADCs to ensure fast track clearance of export shipments from various ports. This move comes as a huge relief to the scores of pharma exporters who have been concerned about the negative impact on their business due to the undue delays in clearing exports shipments by ADCs at various ports.

The notification that was released recently by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr G N Singh to all the ports clearly states that the shipping bills of export consignments received at the port office should be processed at the earliest. It states that clearing of the export consignments should be done within two to four hours of submission of the bills, while also directing the ADCs to duly inform the exporters or the freight forwarding agent about the status of such clearances after the processing of the same.

It is understood that keeping in view importance of the timelines and delivery schedules in the international markets, Pharmexcil had been persistently taking up the matter with Centre for expediting the clearance on fast track basis.

Dr P V Appaji, director general of Pharmexcil informed that the Council is very happy with the support shown by the commerce ministry and the CDSCOs office in promptly addressing this matter by expediting the process of export shipments. He further urged all the exporters to duly take note of this development and approach ADCs for fast track clearances accordingly.

Pharmexcil had on many instance on representation from the stakeholders had raised the issue of delay at the port offices leading to huge loss to the exporters. It was bought under the DCGIs notice that many ADCs posted at various ports would take or accept export files only once a day and the files so collected in the morning were reverted only by the evening, if any with objections wasting one full day of the exporters. Apart from ensuring fast track clearance of export shipments, the DCGI also suggested the ADCs to carry out inspections every two hours.