To Help Prevent COVID-19, BUMN Tries To Produce 6 Million Masks

Illustrated masker. (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The need for masks in Indonesia immediately increased after the outbreak of the corona virus or COVID-19 in Indonesia. In fact, the scarcity of masks often occurs in various regions.

The government, through the Ministry of BUMN, is trying to find a solution to this. BUMN Minister Erick Thohir even encouraged State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) to help produce as many as 6 million masks.

"This March, we (BUMN) will start doing business. To be sure, in April, six million masks can be produced only from BUMN," said Erick Thohir to the media crew in Jakarta, Wednesday, March 11.

Erick admitted, for the stock of masks from a state-owned company, namely PT Kimia Farma (Persero) Tbk, the conditions fluctuated or were up and down depending on needs.

"Yesterday I checked in Cikini, Jakarta, but in Manado it ran out, then in Padang the stock of masks was safe," he said.

According to him, the raw materials for the manufacture of six million masks are still there, and if the raw material stock runs out in China, then they have to look to Europe.

"Now Europe is also hit by the Corona outbreak, we have to look for it from India or from other countries. So in the future, the problem of raw materials for this mask is the small inner layer, we have to be able to make it ourselves. Why do we have to depend on other countries again," he said. Erick.

Previously, PT Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia (Persero) or RNI stated that the stock supply of masks, hand sanitizers and other medical equipment was safe and available for emergency or emergency needs.

RNI President Director Eko Taufik Wibowo said that his party did not throw it to the market, because RNI collaborated with Kimia Farma as the official state-owned company.

Regarding hand sanitizers and other health equipment, the RNI Managing Director ensures that the stock is safe and available. RNI itself said that the raw material for the inner layer of masks imported from abroad is a crucial component in mask production. His party is currently detecting the raw material for the layer in the mask in France.

Currently RNI is pursuing and working on these raw materials, considering that if the raw materials are available, his party can produce thousands of masks in one hour.

President Director of Kimia Farma, Verdi Budidarmo, said some time ago, there are still around 4,000 boxes of cloth masks in stock. The price per sheet of mask is set at IDR 2,000 per sheet.

"We have approximately 4,000 boxes of 50 in stock for cloth masks. So there are 215 thousand pieces throughout Indonesia," said Verdi. He emphasized that currently one person is limited to buying 2 pieces per day.