The local pharmaceutical manufacturing companies are producing only 33pc of their targeted production capacity, reports Ethiopian Pharmaceuticals Fund Agency. Lack of foreign exchange is one of the reported reasons for their underperformance, says the Agency. While pharmaceutical importing companies are given priority for forex by the National Bank of Ethiopia, local pharmaceutical companies do not get the same privilege to import raw materials, according to Goitom Gigar, deputy director of the Agency. While buying medicine from the local companies, the Agency pays 30pc in advance for manufacturers.