Table 3 Participants’ opinion regarding the opportunities for R&D in pharmaceutical plants of Ethiopia

Government incentives

“Devices, raw materials and chemicals can be imported duty free. We also facilitate work permits for foreign experts who come to work in R&D activities of the local medicine manufacturing companies” [Participant 03 from government agency]

“There are research packages, for example there are big grants that amount up to five million birr… what I remember is researchers in our sector (pharmaceutical) are major beneficiaries of such grants.” [Participant 04 from government agency]

Availability of trainable human power

“I don't think there will be problem with human power. Production and quality control department in all facilities hire many professionals. Professionals who come from those departments can easily fit in R&D… people who complete their graduate studies can also fit. They may need some induction training but they can fit for the current situation in our country as we mainly focus on conventional dosage forms” [Participant 06 from pharmaceutical manufacturer]

“If all of a sudden… 20 factories start work, there is no human resource… I tell you the truth… if 20 companies enter the market at a time… the first complaint will be that there is no human resource… there can be trainable individuals… but… there is none that can start work on day one” [Participant 05 from pharmaceutical manufacturer]

Planned but not implemented

“This strategic plan puts creation of a country with R&D intensive pharmaceutical manufacturers at the end of the ten years. The plan was prepared by benchmarking many countries… it was a very good thing… now that it has been 5 or 6 years since its launch… when we see it… I think it was a little ambitious” [Participant 14 from research/educational institution]

“… for example… it says [proposed law] ‘if a company rolls out a product after doing its own R&D… the tax holiday shall increase…’ but this law is not yet implemented… the same law also talks about cost sharing for the salaries of expatriate R&D specialists by way of income tax reductions… […] such schemes have already been endorsed by the council of ministers but have not been put in to law by the parliament…” [Participant 01 from government agency]