Pursuing Independent Target Of Medical Devices, Government Aims For Additional 9 Thousand Domestically Made Medical Devices

Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita. ANTARA/HO Ministry of Industry

JAKARTA - The government targets the addition of 9,000 domestically made medical devices or medical devices this year. The goal is to increase Indonesia's economic independence in the health sector.

Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said his party had prepared a budget to carry out a certification program for the use of the domestic component level (TKDN).

According to Agus, the program is also in accordance with the direction of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) who wants to encourage substitution or import reduction.

"The Ministry of Industry in 2021 has budgeted for free TKDN certification, which we target will be at least 9,000 new products certified," he said in a virtual press conference, Tuesday, June 15.

Agus hopes that this program can be utilized as well as possible by domestic producers as an agreement to improve the quality of their products. Agus said, to smooth out the target, the government will waive the import duty on raw materials and auxiliary materials.

It is hoped that this method, continued Agus, will also simplify and reduce research and development costs. Agus explained that one of the medical device products that was successfully developed and produced by the nation's children was a ventilator made by Gajah Mada University (UGM).

According to Agus, the medical devices made by the nation's children have been absorbed and used in hospitals to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Thanks to the Minister of Health, who has now been absorbed in the hospital. So, we also help with tools or raw materials and their assistants are zero (free of import duty)," he said.

In the pharmaceutical and medical device industry sector, Agus said, the Ministry of Industry continues to make adjustments to increase TKDN, which currently only reaches 15 percent. It is targeted that in the near future the TKDN in the industry can increase by up to 40 percent.

"Later we will combine it with logistics design and also Research and development (R&D). We hope that by adjusting, the TKDN of medical devices can reach a point of 40 percent," he said.