Meeting With The Head Of BPOM, Minister Teten Discusses The Circular Permit For MSME Products

Menkop UKM Teten Masduki (left) and the Head of BPOM Taruna Ikrar (right). (Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki held a meeting with the Head of the Taruna Ikrar Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) at the Kemenkop UKM office, Jakarta, today.

Teten said the meeting discussed the MSME market protection strategy from the invasion of imported goods and provided convenience for MSMEs to obtain distribution permits.

"We discussed a lot. First, we share a common vision because we, right, have a vision of how to protect our very large market from attacks on foreign products. Well, our second is also interested, there are conveniences for MSMEs to get distribution permits," said Teten at his office, Friday, September 20.

He admitted that his party would strengthen cooperation with BPOM. Thus, there is an acceleration of handling the needs of MSMEs to obtain distribution permits.

"Earlier we discussed the length of the technique and thank God, I think our vision is the same. This is just the technicality," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of BPOM Taruna Ikrar said that his party was committed so that MSMEs could become kings in their own country.

The cadets said that currently, the potential for MSMEs to be empowered is around 1.7 million with a total of 3.4 million workers. However, only a few MSME products have a distribution permit from BPOM.

"Now what is registered with the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency for MSMEs that are food, processed, is only around 6,000. Of the total, actually there are medium and large ones, it's around 10,000. So, of course, there is still a lot of potential that we can empower," he said.

Then there are also only 1,700 MSMEs related to traditional medicines, supplements, herbal medicines to cosmetics that have a distribution permit from BPOM.

"And of course we still have great potential, it could be tens of thousands actually. So, we want to maximize it. To maximize it, we want to cooperate with the ministry," he said.

Given, said Taruna, the BPOM technical implementing unit (UPT) only exists in 76 cities throughout Indonesia. So, he continued, BPOM cannot attract all MSMEs in the country.

"Well, of course it all costs money. Therefore, we hope that through this collaboration there will be assistance, assistance, special incentives for MSMEs so that they can grow and hopefully later MSMEs will grow optimally," said Taruna.

"So we have an agreement for that, for what purpose? For the benefit of our national economy," he added.