Even as doctors and medicine manufacturers of both modern and traditional systems hail and welcome the Union Budget for its handsome allocation for healthcare, the drug traders are an unhappy lot as they feel that the last general budget presented by union finance minster is likely to slow down the business prospects of both wholesalers and retailers.
 
“The small traders in the country will not be able to compete with corporate sector, hence they will have to close down their business”, All Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association (AKCDA) said.
 
A N. Mohan, president, AKCDA, said that in the name of ‘ease of doing business’, the government is trying to eradicate the small drug dealers from the market. He said the National Health Protection Scheme announced in the budget may be beneficial for the poor people, but it will end up the business of all small medicine dealers in the country. The association wanted the government to consider the issues of small and medium drug traders who are catering to the medical needs of the whole population in India.

Meanwhile all medical practitioners, irrespective of their systems, have welcomed the proposal for National Health Protection Scheme. Dr D Ramanathan, secretary of Ayurveda Medicine Manufacturers Organization of India (AMMOI) has commented that this will help increased demand for Ayurveda medicines all over India, so employment opportunities for qualified Ayurveda people will also increase.
 
Dr T Thirunarayanan, secretary of Centre for Traditional Medicines and Research (CTMR) in Chennai, said allocation of Rs. 200 crore for medicinal aromatic plant cultivation and separate allocation for organic farming as well as for nutrition will help the Ayush sector in a big way.
 
Whereas, QPMPA has welcomed the announcement of Ayushman Bharat Scheme. If the scheme is implemented, it will transform India into a welfare state, which is a dream among the people. Besides, it will find solution for all problems of financial constraints for better treatment in rural India.
 
On the side of industry, the leaders of Tamil Nadu pharma industry have also welcomed the budget and hailed the incentives for the sector.
 
SV Veeramani, the immediate past president of the IDMA, said the budget envisages an allocation of Rs. 3,794 crore for the MSME sector for giving credit support, capital and interest subsidy, and innovation. Another incentive for MSMEs is in the form of reduction in corporate tax rate from 30% to 25% for companies with a turnover up to Rs. 250 crore from the financial year 2016-17. There is also a proposal for revamping online loan sanctioning facility for MSMEs.  This is a real booster for MSMEs.
 
The chairman of TN IPA, J Jayaseelan, said concession in tax structure for small and medium enterprises will help the small pharma players a lot and the state will have good impact on pharma sector.