Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
President of the Private Pharmacy Retail Business Association (PPRBA) Glenwayne Suchit says some citizens cannot afford medication from private pharmacies because of a monopoly that expanded after the COVID-19 period, which has led to unfair pricing, restricted supply and the collapse of dozens of small pharmacies.
But the T&T Fair Trading Commission (FTC) is under fire for failing to investigate claims of anti-competitive conduct and an alleged monopoly in the pharmaceutical industry.
Speaking before the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC), chaired by House Speaker Jagdeo Singh, Suchit provided a detailed evidence-based document showing how a small group of pharmaceutical distributors now control over 70 per cent of the private pharmaceutical market.
He said this has limited access to critical medicines for low-income patients.
Suchit said, “Market monopoly concerns has been a critical part of our drive because it directly influences the products that are supplied and introduced to the local market. Aventa controls 74 per cent of the pharmaceutical private market. Two companies control 50 per cent of the tender market for public procurement.”
He said the consolidation of control since 2020 has resulted in 38 pharmacies closing, with more expected.
The monopoly, he said, affects availability and pricing.
“Independent pharmacies are routinely denied access to some products. There is a consistent pattern of pricing discrimination and refusal to supply,” he revealed.
Suchit added that during the COVID-19 period some pharmacies could not access basic items while larger chains received priority.
“You cannot decide to sell your own outlets and bypass the other pharmacies in this country,” he told the committee.
Member of the Pharmacy Board, Shazim Tullah, told the PAAC that efforts to register generic drugs have been blocked by delays at the Chemistry Food and Drug Division.
He said the slow approval system has prevented smaller importers from competing, further strengthening the dominant companies.
President of the TT Pharmacy Board Ricardo Mohammed said the situation has led to widespread closures and has affected public access to medication.
Mohammed said, “Thirty-eight pharmacies have closed, and fifteen more have been closed down. Due to drug shortages in public, prescriptions are being sent to private pharmacies that cannot access the stock.”
Singh told the committee he was appalled and sharply criticised the FTC for failing to use its legal authority to investigate claims of anti-competitive conduct and an alleged monopoly in the pharmaceutical industry. Singh questioned why the commission had not begun a formal probe despite having the statutory power to act on its own initiative.
He told the commission its response to PPRBA complaints showed “lethargy,” pointing out that months had passed without decisive action.
He said the Fair Trading Act allows the commission to investigate without waiting for a formal complaint.
“You have the power to act. There is no statutory requirement for a formal complaint. Yet instead of assuming your authority, you sought to shift the burden back to the complainant,” he said.
The commission’s executive director, Bevan Narinesingh, acknowledged that the T&T Fair Trading Commission had received information as early as September 2024 and later stated in a June 2025 letter that there were “sufficient grounds” for concern. But he told the committee the absence of a board limited the commission’s ability to launch a formal investigation.
The House Speaker rejected that explanation, saying nothing in the act prevents the executive director from initiating an investigation.
He cited Section 7, which empowers the Commission to investigate “on its own initiative” once facts available to it suggest a contravention.
Singh noted that the commission had instead written multiple letters to the Pharmacy Business Retail Association requesting information—including business details and internal documents—even though the act grants the commission the authority to request such material directly from companies.
“You simply could have written to any company and asked for it under Section 8,” the speaker said. “How is it tenable that you shifted the responsibility onto an association with no access to private corporate records?”
Narinesingh confirmed the commission held meetings with the Health Ministry and Pharmacy Board but said no formal investigation had been started.
The session was adjourned to January 26.
