The House Of Representatives Assessing Erick Thohir As A Challenger For The COVID-19 Vaccine

Minister of BUMN, Erick Thohir. (Photo: Ministry of BUMN)

JAKARTA - The BUMN Ministry led by Erick Thohir, through a state-owned pharmaceutical company, Bio Farma, is developing a COVID-19 vaccine together with a pharmaceutical company from China, Sinovac. However, this step received the spotlight from Commission VII DPR.

Member of Commission VII DPR RI from the PAN Faction Andi Yuliani Paris assessed that vaccine development is the domain of the Ministry of Research and Technology (Kemenristek) / National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). He then questioned the Ministry's position in developing drugs and vaccines for the SAR-COV-2 or COVID-19 virus.

Yuliani admitted that he felt even more strange when what appeared in public and conveyed the development of vaccines was the Minister of BUMN Erick Thohir. The reason is, what should appear to the public is the Ministry of Research and Technology / National Agency for Research and Innovation.

"I am also shocked, Sir. Why is the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) challenging the Pak Ministers in managing vaccines. I am a politician but I do not like that something is politicized. he said, during a Commission VII meeting with the Minister of Research and Technology / Head of BRIN Bambang Brodjonegoro, Wednesday, August 26.

According to Yuliani, the Ministry of Research and Technology / National Agency for Research and Technology was empowered by law (UU) Number 11 of 2019 concerning the National System of Science and Technology regarding the manufacture and development of vaccines.

"Where is your position? It seems that the Research and Technology / National Agency for Research and Technology is not functioning. Even though it has been given the authority through this law, there is a clear mention of auditing and cleaning technology.

Then, Yuliani also questioned whether the Ministry of Research and Technology / National Agency for Research and Technology supervises specimens that may be used by research institutions abroad that are developing vaccines with blood from Indonesian citizens.

According to Yuliani, this is important to monitor. Because the rules are clearly stated in Law Number 11 of 2019 that if a specimen is released abroad without permission there is an extraordinary penalty, both a fine and a prison sentence.

"Then foreign institutions want to carry out domestic research, Sir. If you do not get the permit, there are penalties, both criminal and administrative as well as fines. So I want to give reinforcement to Research and Technology / National Agency for Research and Technology to carry out this," he said.

On the other hand, Yuliani also questioned whether Erick Thohir had coordinated with the Ministry of Research and Technology / National Agency for Research and Technology, even if it should still not be Erick who appeared in public to provide information about vaccines.

"Have you had it, Sir? Yes? It shouldn't be like that, Sir. The leading sector is with you about vaccines. Not at the Minister of BUMN," he said.

Responding to this, Bambang said, the role of BUMN Minister Erick Thohir was related to vaccines because he was appointed as the Executive Head of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (PEN). He also said that a number of ministers were members of the committee.

"Regarding vaccines, maybe the position of the Minister of BUMN is not the Minister of BUMN, but as you know the Minister of BUMN was appointed as the executive chairman of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery," said Bambang.

Furthermore, regarding research and innovation related to handling COVID-19 carried out by the Ministry of Research and Technology / National Agency for Research and Innovation, Bambang said, it has entered the industrial stage. In fact, it has even entered into procurement.

"The point is that for the first time regarding research and innovation related to COVID-19, the products that we have produced from test kits, ventilators and so on are important now in industry, are already in mass production, which is important again in quotation marks, procurement of both the Ministry of Health and task force, "he explained.