The France-based Sanofi Group is looking forward to investing in a high tech pharmaceutical plant in HCMC with larger capacity than its current two plants in the city, said Thomas Kelly, senior vice president of Sanofi Asia.
At the meeting with HCMC Chairman Le Hoang Quan on Tuesday, Kelly proposed the city government facilitate this project, especially in finding a suitable location.
HCMC Chairman Le Hoang Quan (R) speaks with senior executives of Sanofi Vietnam and Sanofi Group at the City Hall on Tuesday
“Both of Sanofi plants in HCMC are located in urban areas. We hope the third one will be developed in an industrial zone with the required area of six hectares,” said Kelly.
Moreover, he added the high tech medicines to be produced in the Vietnam market would be consumed locally as well as exported to other countries. That explained why Sanofi Vietnam had asked for a change in its investment license.
Earlier this month, Sanofi Vietnam submitted to the city government its dossiers, asking for the addition of export-import to the company’s registered business fields. Kelly told Chairman Quan that this change is important to Sanofi Vietnam’s business in coming time because it affects both product export and import of materials that accounts for 90% of production demand.
Along with the export revenue, easier material import would help pull down the medicine prices in Vietnam, Kelly underscored, especially when Vietnam dong is losing its value against strong currencies like the U.S. dollar or the euro.
Regarding the firm’s request to change its investment license, Chairman Quan promised to send his reply prior to September 10, after consulting with the city’s Department of Planning and Investment and Department of Health. In the meantime, the pharmaceutical company was asked to consider the feasibility of the high tech pharmaceutical plant development in HCMC.
Sanofi has been present in Vietnam for nearly 50 years with 1,000 employees currently working at its two plants and offices nationwide. The company last year paid taxes of VND100 billion to the State.
Its offshoot Sanofi – Synthelabo Vietnam is cooperating with the Ministry of Health on a research of vaccine for dengue fever.
However, not until 2015-2016 can this vaccine be put into use, said Kelly, though the Paris-based laboratories are in the final stage of clinical experiment.
PV
(Theo website Lê Hoàng Quân)
