The Hawassa branch office of the Authority has announced that more than 1.6 thousand tons of food and more than 978 thousand Birr worth of drugs and medical equipment have been imported into the country in the past three months at the Moyale entry and exit port.
On the other hand, in the same months, the office took action on various foods and products that have quality and safety problems.
In the first three months of the 2016 fiscal year, 1,693 thousand tons of food, 476,763 birr worth of medicine, and 502,059 birr worth of medical equipment were imported into the nation through the required quality control at the entry and exit port, according to Ato Fekadu Nimana, head of the branch office.
The head added that the branch office has issued qualification certificates to 10 drug wholesalers, 3 drug importers, 10 food manufacturers and 2 food importers and distributors.
Ato Fekadu explained that two-drug retail institutions were suspended for three to six months and four-drug institutions were given written warnings.
In another news, the branch office announced that in the similar months, various food and health supplies and controlled products that worth more than 2 million birr have been prevented from being used due to safety issues.
According to him, regarding the implementation of the plan for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2016, the estimated value of illegal food worth 122,855 birr, illegal drugs worth 70,000 birr, and illegal beauty products worth 137,210 birr were found during the control work conducted in the last three months. /Cosmetics/ products and illegal tobacco products worth 38,520 birr were found to have safety problems during the control and they announced that the public should not use them.
He also pointed out that damaged, expired flavored milk, fruit drink and beer products with an estimated value of 1,918,815 birr have been found to have safety problems and have been properly disposed of together with the relevant stakeholders.
Finally, he stated that efforts are being made in coordination with various stakeholders to prevent illegal products from being marketed and causing health problems to the consumers.
