No More Imported Medical Devices: Indonesia’s Chief Minister

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan revealed his concerns over a lobbying activity that tried to offer him imported medical devices into the country.

Previously, there was a shortage of oxygen supplies following a surge in Covid-19 cases driven by virulent Delta variant in Indonesia.

“Importing [medical equipment] will no longer be allowed. Recently, someone tried to offer me cheap personal protective equipment that can be imported from abroad,” Luhut said in a virtual event titled National Forum on Self-Sufficient and Resilience of the Medical Device Industry, Monday, August 30.

Also read: Corruption Watchdog Finds Flaws in Tenders for Covid-19 Equipment Supply in Indonesia

Luhut, who is also the coordinator of the Covid-19 restrictions on public activities in Java-Bali, explained that many local raw materials for medical devices are available in the country. He gave an example of local disposable hypodermic needles that have been previously exported on August 26, calling other industry players to follow suit.

“We must also control the increasing number of imported medical devices by requiring the use of local components [TKDN] up to 55 percent to promote medicinal raw materials in Indonesia,” he said.

He urged industries to reduce reliance on imported raw materials in order to increase domestic production and to be proactive in producing local medical devices and medicines.

(Writer: Ade Miranti Karunia | Editor: Bambang P. Jatmiko)

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2021/08/30/141205226/luhut-minta-tak-ada-lagi-impor-alat-alat-kesehatan.