The chairman of a major pharmaceutical company is urging businesses to act now if they are to be ready for new trading rules between the UK and EU in 2021.
brexit
The founder and chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, Dr Nik Kotecha, says his firm has already taken action to prepare for the end of the Transition period on 31 December, and he’s now calling on others to do the same.
Dr Kotecha said: “There are some very simple actions all UK businesses can do, like making sure you have an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number, which is very important for imports and exports.
“Start planning your supply chain and look at alternative routes to avoid the short strait crossings.
“We would really recommend that all businesses look at the gov.uk website, there is so much information there, which is really helpful for planning for the end of the Transition period.”
Dr Kotecha’s advice comes as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, continues to update gov.uk/transition with vital information to help companies understand the important actions they need to take to be ready for the start of 2021.
Support includes pre-recorded webinars taking businesses through the changes related to them.
Morningside Pharmaceuticals is a manufacturer and supplier of medicines and healthcare products to the UK and international export markets. With a 180-strong workforce, it has its UK headquarters in Loughborough, with manufacturing partnerships in the UK, Europe and India.
Dr Kotecha said: “A priority for Morningside was to follow closely and act upon all advice from the Government, particularly the guidance on the www.gov.uk/transition website. As a result, we have planned for the new trading environment, completing a number of important actions, including identifying changes for manufactured goods, such as new approval requirements.”
Some of the steps he has taken also include:
- Ensuring the company is ready for the new rules on importing and exporting goods between the EU and the UK
- Checking and ensuring the correct regulations are applied to the licensing of its products, batch testing and logistics
- Supporting all EU national employees in applying for settlement status
- Applying for full Authorised Economic Operator Status.