Press Release
February 23, 2007

ROXAS MEETS WITH WTO CHIEF;
TAKES UP AFFORDABLE MEDICINES, SMUGGLING

Senator Mar Roxas, chair of the Senate committees on economic affairs and on trade and commerce, discussed with Director-General Pascal Lamy of the World Trade Organization this morning the ongoing efforts to bring down the costs of medicines in the country through amendments to the Intellectual Property Code.

Roxas, author of Senate Bill 2263 on affordable medicines, said enabling countries to import lower-priced quality medicines from its neighbors is a positive example of how governments can optimize globalization to benefit the poor.

I informed the head of the WTO that this legislation is in accordance with the Doha Round and TRIPS Agreement and conforms to existing practices followed by other countries, Roxas added.

Lamy responded positively, noting the countrys ability to change previous rules in answer to social needs.

Senators unanimously approved Senate Bill 2263 before the end of the regular session. Its House counterpart, HB 6035, was approved last 20 February 2007 on second reading in a controversial session where members of Congress ordered lobbyists from the pharmaceutical industry to leave the gallery.

Senator Roxas and D-G Lamy also discussed ASEAN economic integration, which the latter said was impressive as well as the need to curb smuggling of goods across porous borders. The government has not done enough to stop smuggling through our porous borders, the senator added.

The challenge is on how to fight smuggling and differentiate legal trade from underground trade which drives some people to go against the idea of globalization, Roxas told Lamy.

The director-general said the WTO is now reflecting on whether informal trade should be put on its program.

The two officials also discussed the direction of the World Trade Organization regarding ongoing trade talks in keeping with the Doha Development Agenda.

News Latest News Feed