MANILA, June 30 (PNA) — The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) on Monday signed a memorandum of agreement with the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to streamline processes in licensing, inspection, and registration of PEZA-registered manufacturers of food and food products, pharmaceutical products, medical devices and health products, cosmetics, and chemicals.
FDA Director General Kenneth Y. Hartigan-Go said during the MOA signing at the PEZA office in Pasay City that the partnership with PEZA is in line with the “one government approach” of the administration.
The MOA between PEZA and FDA targets to cut bureaucratic steps to ease obligations of stakeholders in food and drugs and other related sectors, Hartigan-Go stressed.
Before any food and food products, pharmaceutical products, medical devices and health products, cosmetics, chemicals, and other related products can be circulated in the market, these should undergo the regulation of FDA.
FDA authorization documents such as License to Operate, Certificate of Product Registration, and other special permits shall be acquired by enterprises before they can sell in the local and global market.
In order to expedite the process, the MOA affirms PEZA to assist its registered enterprises in pre-processing of application of FDA-related authorizations.
According to PEZA Director General Lilia De Lima, there will be 100 firms in PEZA zones that will be benefiting from the partnership with FDA.
De Lima also mentioned that the PEZA-FDA partnership in streamlining the processes to acquire FDA-related authorizations will attract investments in the covered sectors.
“With this partnership we expect investments soon in food manufacturing and chemicals in PEZA zones,” De Lima said in the sidelines of the MOA signing.
Aside from assisting PEZA-registered firms in processing FDA-related permits, the MOA also targets for joint formulation of policies ensuring that PEZA locators comply with the local and international standards for food and drugs; training of PEZA designated units by FDA in order for pre-processed permit applications meet with FDA standards; and a moratorium of penalties for a period of six months for unlicensed locators.
The moratorium of penalties covers toy manufacturing companies in PEZA zones which are not yet FDA licensed as toy products were recently added to have an FDA-approval.
De Lima mentioned that among these toy manufacturers in PEZA which do not yet have FDA permits are Japanese firms like Bandai and Tamiya.
With the newly signed MOA, PEZA can now assist these firms to acquire FDA permits. (PNA)