BMI View: Despite strong growth potential,thegovernment’s protectionist policy of preventing foreign-owned companies from distributing their products and other regulatory inefficiencies will continue to hinder the development of the pharmaceutical sector in the country. BMI note that the country will continue to rely heavily on pharmaceutical imports given that counterfeits drugs are rampant and that the domestic pharmaceutical sector is still underdeveloped. As the country joins other Asian countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Malaysia in their quest to use biotechnology to boost the economy, BMI believe that the country will continue to underperform in this area unless significant improvements are made in terms of regulations and monetary commitments.