Limited Pharmacy Salt Needs, BPOM Speeds Up Domestic Industry Production Certification

Head of BPOM Taruna Pledge. Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI

JAKARTA - The Food Supervisory and Drug Agency (BPOM) said that there are two pharmaceutical salt industries that are proposing certification of good drug manufacturing methods (CPOB) to meet pharmaceutical production standards and quality control.

Head of BPOM Taruna Ikrar said that currently only two industries are capable of producing pharmaceutical salt. However, the production capacity of the salt industry has not been able to meet domestic needs.

"That's why we want to accelerate, right, there are six industries that haveapplyed to BPOM to create (CPOB certification). Now only two have met the requirements. Later there will be two more, this is on progress," said Taruna when met by reporters in the Cilandak area, South Jakarta, Friday, January 24.

He said, the need for salt for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, various food industries reaches 2.7 million tons per year. Meanwhile, industries whose currently limited supply is only able to meet pharmaceutical salt with a need of 6,000-10,000 tons.

Therefore, his party is trying to get the new pharmaceutical salt industry to produce immediately. Even so, the process passed before it can be produced and distributed is quite long.

"After being produced, there must be a distribution permit number. Then after that we evaluate the distribution, don't let anything be damaged. We are optimistic that it can fulfill it because there will be four of these who will receive a certificate from us, our domestic industry," he said.

According to the cadets, these two new pharmaceutical salt industries have a production capacity of up to 12,000 tons per year. However, he reminded that not all salt produced can fully meet national needs.

"Because not all of them are the same as drugs. After the drug is produced, not all of them meet the standards. Some are thrown away, right? Well, it's the same as pharmaceutical salt, this is very essential," he said.

With the condition of the pharmaceutical salt supply industry that is not yet stable, Taruna assesses that there is a need for exemption or exemption from pharmaceutical salt from the import ban regulations that have been in effect from early 2025.

As is known, the regulation is contained in Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 126 Tofu 2022 concerning the Acceleration of National Trade. In this policy, salt for the pharmaceutical and food industries is prohibited from importing.

"We have to understand that this is a very essential material or product for the lives of many people. Of course we ask for some kind of expression whether it will increase in another year or two years. We need to talk about it because this is an emergency, until now we are still struggling," he concluded.