São Paulo – Algeria wants to attract Brazilian pharmaceutical companies to manufacture in its territory and engage in technology transfers. So said Djamel Bennaoum, the Algerian ambassador to Brasília (the capital of Brazil), who visited the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce headquarters in São Paulo this Tuesday (16th).
“A large share of the medication used in Algeria is imported, therefore the industry has great perspectives,” says Bennaoum. “Both options are very interesting: producing locally and also cooperating and having technical partnerships with Algerian companies to transfer production technology,” he said.
In his visit to the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Bennaoum met with a representative of EMS, one of Brazil’s leading pharmaceutical companies. ”The conversation was really interesting. The strength of the Brazilian [medication] industry is not known in Algeria,” he said, pointing out that the opposite is also true: in Brazil, the potential of the Algerian medication industry is largely ignored. Presently, Algeria imports 60% of the medication it consumes.
”I suggested that he should become familiar with the industry in Algeria, get in touch with the companies, study the market and see what he can propose,” says the ambassador. Bennaoum says his country is interested in various types of medication, but highlighted medication for continued use, antibiotics, and medication for hospitals.
Right now, no Brazilian company exports medication to Algeria. The main suppliers of medication to the Algerian market are countries such as France, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Education and healthcare
This Tuesday morning, Bennaoum met with Antônio Roque Dechen, the executive vice president of the University of São Paulo (USP) to discuss the possibility of cooperation between the USP and Algerian universities.
The ambassador will also meet with representatives of the Syrian-Lebanese Hospital to discuss cooperation in healthcare with his country. Bennaoum will be in São Paulo until next Wednesday (17th).
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
