August 19: While the overall industries of the country have been weakened by the impact of coronavirus, the market of sanitizer has skyrocketed in Nepal. Many domestic pharmaceutical companies have started production of sanitizers after its demand increased.

According to Deepak Dahal, former president of the Association of Pharmaceutical Producers of Nepal (APPON), 30 industries are currently producing sanitizers commercially.

“Its use has increased as the coronavirus infection has been spread massively. Most of the pharmaceutical companies have started its production as the demand in the market has gone up,” he said.

Although the Drug Act defines sanitizers as medicines, its production was neglected. The government had paved the way for the production of sanitizer by issuing a guideline in May 2017.

The guideline has given the responsibility of regulating the production standard and quality of sanitizers to the Department of Drug Administration. DDA decided to allow the pharmaceutical industries to make sanitizers after a nationwide lockdown imposed from March 24 to control the infection.

According Santosh KC, spokesperson of DDA, 40 industries in the country have already taken permission to produce sanitizers.

Industrialists estimate that the market of sanitizer in Nepal has reached Rs 500 million since the beginning of the coronavirus infection. They expect the demand for sanitizers to increase further.

According to the customs department, 530,000 liters of sanitizer worth Rs 245.4 million was imported from India and China in the last Fiscal Year 2076/77.