The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) finally opened its sub zonal and port office in Goa at the customs building in the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) premises on November 16. The sub zonal and port office will be responsible to look after the work relating to exports of drugs and cosmetics from Goa along with other sub zonal office functions.

The newly approved sub zonal office which falls under the West Zone of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) was earlier expected to be operational for exports from October 2. However Salim Veljee, director, Foods and Drugs Control Administration Goa informed that the plan got delayed due to some logistics issue. “However, now with the official inauguration of the sub zonal and port office by the CDSCO, we are hopeful that the export activities will be flagged off soon,” he informed.

The CDSCO has got the possession of the office and is soon expecting to start export activities from there. A senior officer from the CDSCO informed, “Our main objective right now is to sensitise the industry about the opening of the sub zonal office in Goa, so that companies will start doing their export activities from the state rather than exporting products from other ports.”

As of now, the Centre has appointed only one drug inspector to handle the work at the new sub zonal office. But the senior official informed, “Based on the work pressure and export activities from the state, the centre will decide when to appoint an assistant drug controller in Goa, but, as of now it is too early to take any decision on this front.”

Further he stressed that for the export activities to start in full swing it is important to sensitise the industry on this recent development so that pharma exporters from Goa can start their exports from the state itself rather than travelling all the way to Mumbai and Nhava Sheva for exports.

The sub zonal office will also serve the exporters by allowing them to get WHO-GMP certification including CoPP to be issued from the sub-zonal office rather than getting it issued from Mumbai.

With this Goa joins the rank of being one of the seven ports in the country apart from Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Cochin, Nhava Sheva and Kandla from where pharma exports  can be done.