PKS Faction DPR Member: Purchasing COVID-19 Vaccines Show Indonesia Is Not Sovereign In Pharmacy

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JAKARTA - The Indonesian government, through the Minister of BUMN Erick Thohir and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi, entered into a Preliminary Agreement of Purchase and Supply of Bulk Production of COVID-19 Vaccine.

Member of Commission I of the DPR Sukamta said the bulk vaccine purchase agreement with Sinovac China shows that Indonesia is not sovereign in the pharmaceutical sector.

"President Jokowi proudly states that Indonesia is the country most ready to provide the COVID-19 vaccine after the mass vaccine agreement with the pharmaceutical company Sinovac, China. However, the president should be sad, on the other hand. This agreement shows that Indonesia is not sovereign in the pharmaceutical sector. "said Sukamta when contacted by VOI, Friday, August 28.

Sukamta explained, there are two reasons why Indonesia is called not sovereign in the pharmaceutical sector.

First, a large allocation is given by vaccine producing companies because vaccine companies and producing countries see a lucrative business potential with Indonesia so that it is prioritized. Indonesia needs around 350 million doses of the Covid 19 vaccine with a budget of IDR 25 trillion to IDR 30 trillion.

Second, Indonesia has so far imported 95 percent of the total domestic industrial needs. Imports from China are the largest, reaching 60 percent.

In the matter of raw materials for the health industry, Sukamta highlighted the inconsistencies between policies and statements issued by the government. He then flicked the BUMN Minister, Erick Thohir.

"SOE Minister Erick Thohir when the beginning of COVID-19 hit, acknowledged Indonesia 90 percent of the health industry was imported, then declared there was a mafia and said he would fight back. However, now the minister seems to be swallowing his own throat by leading the import of raw materials for the COVID-19 vaccine," he said.

"In fact, if we are serious, we can make bulk vaccine raw materials by utilizing raw materials originating from Indonesia's natural resources," continued the Deputy Chairman of the PKS faction of the DPR RI.

Sukamta added, the tremendous potential for this vaccine business should be a momentum for Indonesia to be independent from developing it.

"Bio Farma as a state-owned pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma (Persero) with a production capacity of 3 billion doses is the largest in Southeast Asia and even 132 countries have imported vaccines from Indonesia. This is a huge potential," he said.

"So the government should take short and long term policies in an effort to supply bio-technology and herbal-based pharmaceutical raw materials rather than importing chemical raw materials. Hopefully Indonesia can become sovereign in the pharmaceutical industry soon," Sukamta hoped.

In Southeast Asia, Indonesia, which has Bio Farma, is the only country recognized as a supplier of vaccines in the region by the world health agency or WHO.

WHO also noted that Indonesia is one of the countries that dominates world vaccine supply along with India, Belgium, France and South Korea. For vaccine suppliers to Muslim countries, Indonesia is a large producer along with China and India.