Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan asks PM Narendra Modi to waive off duty on imported drugs

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging to waive off the customs duty and IGST on the drugs imported for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
The chief minister has written this letter in the wake of the recent crowdfunding that helped one-and-a-half-year-old Muhammed in purchasing the drug Zolgensma, which has to be imported from the US. The drug costs Rs 18 crore for one dose.
“I invite your kind attention to the plight of Master Muhammed, who is 18 months old and affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy. The child’s family belongs to Kannur. The medicine for this rare disease is prohibitively expensive and unaffordable for the family,” said Vijayan in his letter.
The medicine is proposed to be mobilized from willing persons and imported from the US. It is learnt that the Centre had waived taxes in a similar case of a five-month-old toddler who is suffering from SMA in Mumbai, said Vijayan.
“I request you to give directions to the Union finance ministry to take steps not to levy customs duty and integrated goods and services tax in this case involving import of the life-saving drug Zolgensma,” urged the CM in the letter.