"Now, more than 5,500 products have been frozen since their imported substitute already exists," Head of LKPP Azwar Anas stated during the BioColoMelt-Dx molecular diagnostic kit unveiling event here on Tuesday.
According to Anas, President Joko Widodo had instructed all related institutions to stem dependency on imported medicinal raw material that currently reached over 90 percent.
Currently, the government has facilitated the substitution of imported medicinal raw material through the provision of replacement components from various domestic sources.
"The president urged that we continue to stem this. If we can, 40 percent of them should be bought from the domestic industry," he remarked.
LKPP is in charge of encouraging the purchase of domestic products from the state and regional budget through cooperation with the Health Ministry and related institutions, he stated.
One of the forms of penalty over violation of imported raw material substitution involves freezing the products within LKPP's electronic catalog, Anas noted.
Ever since the regulation came into effect, several products still evade this penalty by relocating to the electronic catalog page in other government institutions, he stated.
"After it was frozen within the Health Ministry's electronic catalog, some move to the catalog of other ministries, such as to the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)," he elaborated.
To anticipate this, the LKPP, along with the Health Ministry, conducted a high-level coordination meeting between ministries, so that the code changes from these products can be detected.
"However, we will draw conclusions. If they still show up in other places, then we will revoke the Business Identification Number (NIB), so that they do not move around," he noted.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Suharto
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