07-24-2011, 23:44 PM
|
#1 (permalink)
|
|
Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 481
|
Turkmenistan Import Regulations for Pre-Owned (Used and Refurbished) Medical Devices
General Market Condition: No Restrictions
So far, the government of Turkmenistan (GOTX) has introduced no rules regulating import of used and/or refurbished medical equipment in Turkmenistan. Import of such medical equipment is treated the same way as import of new equipment.
US companies that plan importing used and/or refurbished medical equipment to Turkmenistan should be alert when a contract is negotiated. It should be clarified in the contract that import of used and/or refurbished medical equipment is agreed to by all parties participating in a transaction. Otherwise, a dispute with regard to the quality of imported equipment may arise. There have been such claims in the past.
So far, there have been no excise taxes or customs tariffs charged for imported used and/or refurbished medical equipment. Moreover, the customs and the state commodity and raw materials exchange do not charge service fees from those trade contracts where medical equipment is a part of a transaction. The main obstacle for US companies planning to sell medical equipment in Turkmenistan is the non-convertibility of the Turkmen currency; hard currency is rationed, and importers must justify to the government their need for hard currency to pay for the goods they import.
The Turkmen market with a population of five million is relatively small and underdeveloped in terms of medical equipment supplies as well as medical personnel training and management. Needs are substantial, but means are limited. There is no medical equipment production in Turkmenistan and a potential market for used medical equipment does and will continue to exist here. So far, the GOTX has built a new pharmaceutical plant with the involvement of Indian Government credit line and maintains operation of an out-of-date pharmaceutical production facility in Ashgabat. Nonetheless, the Turkmen market relies heavily on imported medical items and pharmaceuticals. There are no Turkmen private clinics and hospitals in the country except for a Turkish private hospital, which has been operating in Ashgabat since 1998. The GOTX will continue to be the main partner in any investment project in the health care sector for the next decade. The only privatization that has taken place has involved the creation of local private drugstores. The Ministry of Health Care and Medical Industry, which handles the state investment fund for health care sector development, is responsible for financing health care projects. According to the Ministry of Health Care and Medical Industry, the market demand for medical equipment is evaluated at US$ 50 million. However, this figure could be much higher providing the GOTX has sufficient hard currency reserves in the investment fund.
In order to import foreign medical equipment into Turkmenistan including used and refurbished, one must be licensed for importation by the state center for registration of imported medical equipment and approved by Turkmenmedtekhnika, a state company handling medical equipment use and importation. The state inspectorate 'Turkmenstandartlary' provides certification of the imported medical equipment. Other government approvals also apply.
|
|
|
Similar Threads
