VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Industry Ministry has lauded PT Taishan Alkes Indonesia for exporting medical devices to Thailand and Ireland, saying this demonstrates the competitiveness of the Indonesian medical industry in the international market.

"The medical device industry is one of the government’s priority sectors, especially in preventing the transmission of COVID-19 and increasing the use of domestic medical device products," Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said.

The company’s products were competitive in terms of quality, cost, and delivery, he noted while flagging off export consignments of PT Taishan Alkes Indonesia's antigen rapid test cassette COVID-19 products to Thailand and Ireland here on Tuesday.

“The prices of PT Taishan’s products are very competitive for the domestic market compared to imported ones. It creates its own added value for consumers," he added in a written statement.

Furthermore, he emphasized that the ministry will always support attempts to increase industrial competitiveness and advance domestic industries.

"We are optimistic that our human resources will manage to realize the attempts," he said.

In addition, the minister said that PT Taishan Alkes Indonesia has invested in the medical devices sector to manufacture 1.2 million pieces of antigen rapid test cassettes per day and absorb a workforce of up to one thousand people.

“Considering its investment and employment aspects, this industrial sector provides a broad multiplier effect for the national economy. Thus, we will continue to encourage this company to expand its business to promote import substitution," he added.

For its rapid test antigen swab, PT Taishan Alkes Indonesia has obtained a distribution permit for domestic medical devices from the Health Ministry, he noted.

"Moreover, the product has been certified by CE marking – which means the product is in conformity with European standards -- which will support export activities to the European market," he said.

In addition, the product already has a local content requirement (TKDN) of 48.6 percent and is included in the category of mandatory goods used in the procurement of medical devices at government-owned health service facilities, he added.

“With the achievement of the TKDN value, it is expected that the stock of finished goods that have been manufactured by PT Taishan Alkes Indonesia as many as five million pieces can be absorbed, especially in government procurement, thereby contributing to increasing the use of domestic medical device products and supporting the government's program to increase the import substitution by 35 percent in 2022," Kartasasmita informed.

Furthermore, he also added that the ministry was determined to realize Indonesia's independence in the health sector, both in medical devices and medicines.

Hence, the government has restricted imported products from appearing in the e-catalogue of the Government Goods/Services Procurement Policy Agency (LKPP), he added.

Around 79 out of a total of 358 types of domestically manufactured medical devices have been able to replace imported products in the LKPP e-catalog, he disclosed.

"Most of the domestic products already have a TKDN value above 40 percent, which means that they have to be purchased, while the imported products are taken down from the e-catalog display," the Industry Minister remarked.

Meanwhile, president director of PT Taishan Alkes Indonesia, Eko Sihombing, said the company was determined to provide quality and competitive products, according to the existing standards, to support the government’s programs in fulfilling the demand of the people amid the pandemic as an attempt to prevent and handle the transmission of COVID-19. (Antaranews)