As disclosed in a written statement that ANTARA received here on Tuesday, Gobel laid out four points that need to become the focus of the government.
Firstly, Indonesia must become independent and sovereign in the health sector, he said.
"Based on the current COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen that we are very dependent on imports for medicines, vaccines, and health equipment," he explained.
To this end, it is time that the government begins to develop the indigenous medicine, vaccine, and health equipment industry.
"Provide incentives, conduct protection, and facilitate domestic medicine, vaccine, and health equipment industry," Gobel asserted.
Secondly, dependency on imported medicines, vaccines, and health equipment has resulted in expensive pricing and depleted the foreign exchange, in addition to causing scarcity of medical supplies when Indonesia needs them the most, he added.
This has been one of the factors behind the high death rate, he elaborated.
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The third point is related to the ‘Proud of Indonesian Product’ that should not just become an empty slogan, Gobel remarked.
The President has established regulations and policies regarding local content requirement (TKDN). However, they require field supervision, especially in state spending, State-Owned Enterprises spending, and government projects, he opined.
The fourth point is related to the importance of strengthening domestic health industry so that Indonesia can transform from a consumer nation into a producer nation.
"This will bring us pride and dignity. It will also make use of Indonesia's human resources as well improving their quality. Building an industry is not just about the workforce but also the capability to create a product," Gobel noted.
In addition to these steps, he suggested that the government encourage more investment in the health industry.
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Translator: Risbiani F, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
