VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government encourages the negotiations of the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between Indonesia and Bangladesh, in an effort to increase trade cooperation between the two countries.

"To facilitate bilateral trade, we hope the first round of negotiations would begin immediately for the Indonesia-Bangladesh PTA," Indonesian Ambassador for Bangladesh, Rina P Soemarno, stated in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Wednesday.

The PT negotiations between Indonesia and Bangladesh were agreed during President Joko Widodo`s state visit to Bangladesh in early 2018.

"We hope that there will be a quick conclusion from these negotiations, so that the PTA can soon exist to facilitate increased trade between the two countries, which will run with the preferential tariff," the ambassador noted.

She further remarked that the first negotiations for the PTA between Indonesia and Bangladesh will begin in December 2018.

The PTA between the two countries is very important for Indonesia, because Bangladesh is a prospective market where Indonesia seeks to increase its market share. Indonesia is now the fifth largest source of imports for Bangladesh, she added.

The trade volume between Indonesia and Bangladesh has reached a surplus of over 80 percent for Indonesia. Indonesia ranks fifth out of 15 main trading partner countries of Bangladesh.

Indonesia`s main export commodities to Bangladesh include palm oil, textiles, textile products, rubber, wood pulp, nuts, paper, cotton yarn, synthetic fibers, chemical products, iron bars, copper, mining materials (clinkers, tin seeds, coal and lubricants), spices, handicrafts, and train products of PT. INKA.

Meanwhile, Indonesia`s main import commodities from Bangladesh include bags and sacks (jute), packaging bags, steel sheets, and clothing.(ANTARA)

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry has stated that Indonesia has all the potentials not only to become a pharmaceutical industry player, but also to lead the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the pharmaceutical sector.

"Indonesia is not only an important player, but also a leader in the pharmaceutical sector among the OIC countries," Director General of Multilateral Cooperation at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Febrian Alphyanto Ruddyard, said at First Meeting of Heads of National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) ) of the OIC Cooperation Member States held in Jakarta Wednesday.

With all its potential, Indonesia excels in the pharmaceutical sector among the OIC countries and has been appointed as a pilot by the Muslim countries, he said.

The NMRAs meeting on November 21-22, 2018 is an opportunity for Indonesia to demonstrate its leadership while at the same time promoting equal distribution of pharmaceutical capacity among the member countries.

According to Febrian, in 2017 the OIC appointed Indonesia as the center of excellence for the drug regulatory because the country has a high capacity compared to other OIC countries. In addition to positive growth in the drug industry, the pharmaceutical supervision mechanisms in Indonesia are also going well.

Indonesia`s excellence is the nation`s capital in leading as well as providing benefits to OIC members, especially the developing countries, Febrian said.

He noted that the vaccine market in OIC member countries is very big. The total population of the OIC is 1.8 billion people. In fact, half the population, at least 900 million, is a group that needs vaccines and other pharmaceutical products.

Febrian asserted that drugs and vaccines issue is not always a matter of markets and profits. Indonesia has a mission to help the OIC countries in increasing capacity in producing medicines and vaccines, both in the forms of industrial development and supervision of their products.

The pharmaceuticals and vaccines are strongly related to public health. "Cooperation in the medicine sector is very down to earth. Health is a matter of the world which is mentioned in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is the third goal. Of course, there is no conflict in healthy communities," he said.

Indonesia is currently a member of The Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PICs) along with 49 other countries. Within the organization, there are only four OIC member countries, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey and Iran.

One of the topics at the NMRAs first meeting is equalizing the capacity of each country in producing drugs and vaccines. In addition, the participants also discussed drugs and vaccines issues, including regulatory status in the OIC member countries, the role of regulatory authorities in ensuring drug quality, harmonization of drug standards among the countries, and efforts to make OIC member countries independent in medicine production.

The meeting also discusses the production of halal drugs and vaccines, as well as the control of fake drugs in the OIC member countries. (ANTARA)

Indonesia which is hosting a two-day medicine regulators meeting in Jakarta from Wednesday (Nov 21) is set to share its knowledge of vaccine production technology with other member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

A total of 32 member countries of the OIC are taking part in the National Medicines Regulatory Authorities` (NMRAs) meeting. "This is a historical meeting, as it is held for the first time by OIC members," Chief of the Indonesian Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Penny Lukito stated.

They will discuss health issues, medicines and vaccine production. OIC countries have made varied advancements in vaccine technology. Some of them had made moderate while some others are still lagging behind, however.

Indonesia, which is one of the OIC members, is known to be superior in terms of the development of vaccine technology. Therefore in this meeting, Indonesia will share its knowledge of vaccine technology. Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim populated country, is committed to playing concrete roles in advancing member countries in all sectors, including health.

"In this case, BPOM is tasked with sharing its knowledge of vaccine technology with other countries, particularly the OIC members," Lukito remarked at a press conference on "The First Meeting of National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation" in Jakarta on Monday (Nov 19).

It is important for medicine regulators among OIC member states through the meeting to strengthen each other to distribute even strength. This tradition-, culture-, and religion-based multilateral movement can forge better solidarity.

The NMRAs` multilateral partnership was strategic in strengthening OIC countries in the health sector. After all, there is the need for a forum that can strengthen drug regulators in each member country to be independent in the field of medicine and vaccines.

The OIC countries can thus become independent without relying on states outside the OIC in the fields of medicine and vaccines. In addition, OIC countries, some of which are developing and disadvantaged nations, can expand access to cheap drugs and vaccines by utilizing products that have become generic.

Generic drugs are drug types bearing similarities with branded drugs, both in terms of usage and formulas. There are generic similarities with brands that include the strength, dosage, quality, and safety of the product for consumers. Despite the similarities, generic drugs are sold at a much cheaper price than branded drugs.

"We communicate to encourage flexibility in medicine, such as innovating new drugs that are cheap and to be generic, for instance, without having to wait any longer. This is one of the benefits," Lukito emphasized.

There is a pressing requirement to offer economical solutions to meet the pharmaceutical needs of the global community. Erratic economic, political, and security conditions in some OIC member countries, such as in parts of the Middle East and Africa, are becoming increasingly worrisome.

The NMRA meeting also strengthened south-south cooperation that generally comprised countries in the southern hemisphere and were generally developing or least developing.

"This is for south-south cooperation, so that it will have a wider access to less fortunate countries," she noted.

As a member of the OIC, Indonesia has carried out different forms of cooperation, which touch the hearts of Muslims, including Indonesia`s recognition of the Palestinian independence, she noted.

The event is strategic for Indonesia, as it was also part of interstate diplomacy in the OIC environment. Indonesia is also a pilot in vaccine management, including from the regulatory elements of the food and drug regulator. "Some OIC countries are interested in being able to increase their capacity to a higher level and also aim to become exporters. For instance, there are Kazakhstan and Jordan," Lukito pointed out.

Indonesia has Bio Farma, a vaccine factory, with its products used in 141 countries, with 49 of them being OIC countries. "As a center of excellence in the world of vaccines and medicine, Indonesia has a strategic position among OIC countries," she stated.

Limited access and affordability of drugs and vaccines in the world, especially in conflict and low-income countries, causes high mortality rates due to diseases. Moreover, infectious diseases still pose a major threat to several OIC member countries.

The World Health Organization records that 30 percent of the world`s population still lacks access to life-saving drugs, including vaccines. This condition also occurs in several OIC member countries due to the limited production capacity of the pharmaceutical industry.

Seven OIC member countries -- Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Tunisia, and Egypt -- have the capacity to produce vaccines. Most OIC member countries still rely on imports from outside their members to meet their needs for drugs and vaccines.

Hence, Lukita expressed hope that the OIC NMRAs meeting can offer broad benefits, such as for even distribution of drug regulatory capacity among member countries.

"This aims to forge collaboration between OIC countries to build independent access and get vaccine drugs that are affordable, safe, and standardized," she added. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) chaired a limited cabinet meeting at the Bogor Palace, Bogor, West Java, Wednesday, to discuss the development of human resources for acceleration of economic growth.

"I want to recall that a large stage of infrastructure development has been ongoing, and several projects have been completed, and many results have been seen. We will enter the next major stage, which is investment in the field of human resources to boost development," Jokowi, who was accompanied by Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla, stated.

The development of human resources must be able to turn an Indonesian population of 260 million into a major force of Indonesia, he added.

"Not only to support acceleration in economic growth, but it should also be able to improve the welfare to catch up with common progress," he stated.

The president outlined two keys in the development of human resources, with the first being improvement in the education system, particularly through revitalization of vocational education that has to be aligned with the industrial needs and technological progress.

"Over the last four years, we had begun making changes and improvements in our vocational education system, but I think we have not fully carried out major changes," he stated, adding that a major overhaul must be conducted.

The second key is improvement of the skills of job seekers and workers through vocational courses and certification program, he remarked.

"I ask that next year, it should be done on a large scale. I have seen, for instance, in the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry (PUPR), the certification program for workers has run very well, but it is still on a small scale," he noted.

The program must be pushed further by involving the government, businesses, and education stakeholders, as well as Islamic boarding schools.

The limited cabinet meeting was attended by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Minister/State Secretary Pratikno, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Presidential Staff Chief Moeldoko, State Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, Communication and Informatics Minister Rudiantara, and Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto. (ANTARA)