BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar said here on Tuesday that building industry maturity is important as it reflects the quality of production, distribution, and sales, among other things.
Currently, in general, the national industry maturity is capped at the third or the calculative level, he pointed out.
He said that the pharmaceutical industry is one of the backbones of Indonesia's economy, generating Rp100 trillion to Rp140 trillion (USD6.6 billion–USD9.2 billion) annually in revenue.
By achieving the highest maturity level and tapping into the industry's potential, Indonesia can generate two to three times that amount, Ikrar highlighted.
"First, domestic potential being fairly large population, fourth (globally), with 282.4 million," he said.
The large population is also backed with extensive distribution points, for example, there are at least eight thousand pharmacies spread nationwide, he added.
"Secondly, if our products are well-accredited, then they can be exported," he said.
Moreover, achieving the highest maturity level would have other positive impacts, for instance, fulfillment of national demand for medications or drugs through production, which, in turn, would make prices decline and become more affordable.
To achieve the highest maturity level, BPOM is motivating and assisting the pharmaceutical industry so that the 240 companies in the industry develop to their best, he informed.
Moreover, he said he expects the initiative to create more pharmaceutical companies, thereby allowing drug production to be cranked up.
The incentive entails faster issuance of permits, he informed. For example, permits that initially took 120 days to issue can now be obtained in 90 days or even earlier, he added.
The third, he said, is to build the reputation of the national industry at the global level, such as through the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) or by getting into the WHO Listed Authority.
"To convince the international markets, so gentlemen can (expand) market to overseas. Because reputation is important," he stressed.
On the occasion, he also informed that of the 240 companies in the pharmaceutical industry, only about 160 are active.
Ikrar said that only one company is considered to be at the fifth maturity level, or generative level, while 60 percent of the companies are on the third maturity level.
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Reporter: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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