PCR Mandatory Conditions For Travel Is Suspected To Spend The Test Kit Stock Before Expiration

JAKARTA - The Civil Society Coalition for Health and Justice consisting of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), LaporCovid-19, and Lokataru suspect that the government has other goals in implementing mandatory PCR for air travel.

Likewise, the reduction in the price of PCR tests to IDR 275 thousand and IDR 300 thousand, followed by plans to require RT-PCR tests on all transportation modes.

Coalition member from LaporCovid-19, Amanda Tan, suspects that the mandatory PCR requirement is not only aimed at minimizing the transmission of COVID-19, but also as a method for depleting the stock of COVID-19 reagents or test kits before they expire.

"The Coalition suspects that the price of PCR will decrease because a number of goods that have been purchased, either by the government or by companies, are about to expire," Amanda said in a statement, Monday, November 1.

In a sense, with the issuance of provisions regarding mandatory PCR and the reduction in tariffs, it is suspected that the government is helping service providers to spend PCR reagents.

"Because this condition was discovered by ICW when conducting an investigation together with the Investigative Journalists Club," said Amanda.

Moreover, said Amanda, there is hidden information regarding the cost components that make up the price of the PCR examination. Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) and the Ministry of Health have never conveyed detailed information about the types of PCR components purchased and the nominal value.

She explained, since last October 2020, the Coalition received information that the price of PCR reagents was only IDR 180 thousand. When the government sets a price of IDR 900 thousand, the component price of PCR reagents is only 20 percent.

In addition, other price components are not disclosed transparently so that the price reduction to IDR 900 thousand also does not have a clear basis.

"So, policy decisions can be made based on the interests of certain groups. This means that since October 2020 the Government is suspected of accommodating a number of interests of certain groups," she explained.

As is known, the government has issued regulations requiring PCR tests for airplane passengers. This step was taken following the anticipation of a new wave of COVID-19.

In fact, the mandatory PCR plan as a condition of travel will be extended to all other long-distance transportation modes. The reason is to anticipate a surge in mobility in the Christmas and New Year 2022 period.