The Banjaran Kondomok Factory Was Inaugurated By President Suharto In History Today, February 25, 1987

JAKARTA History today, 36 years ago, February 25, 1987, President Soeharto inaugurated the Banjaran Condom Factory (now: the Banjaran Rajawali Partner Factory). The inauguration was carried out by Suharto as a form of commitment to the New Order (Orba) government to perpetuate the Family Planning (KB) program.

Previously, Suharto had tried to change the paradigm of many children with a lot of sustenance. He considers that a small family with two children is more than sufficient. He also fully supports KB so that the welfare of Indonesian families is maintained.

The narrative of many children is no longer relevant in the 1960s. The decline in the welfare rate of families in Indonesia is behind it. All because they have children, they bring a series of problems to women.

Women are the most miserable. The number of mothers who died after giving birth rose, especially. Not to mention the business of raising children who need a lot of funds. For people who can afford it doesn't matter. However, for those who live mediocrely is a big problem.

The problem then made Suharto support the KB program, which was not once supported by the Old Order. As a form of seriousness, the owner of the power to establish a National Family Planning Institution (LKBN).

The institution then changed its name to the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN) in 1970. Suharto hopes that the Indonesian people will start thinking about having children with a maximum of two people. Therefore, the New Order is serious about financing the KB program.

In the 1970/1971 physical year, the Indonesian government provided assistance of 1.3 million US dollars for the national KB program, offset by foreign donors of more than three million US dollars. This assistance increased in the following years. In 1976/1977 the cost assistance used for the KB program was 28.5 million US dollars and in 1977/1978 it rose again to 34.3 million US dollars.

"Indeed, I argue that we need to continue to control the birth through improvement and expansion of the implementation of the KB national program. Meanwhile, the death rate, especially the death rate of anyi and children, is expected to decrease rapidly thanks to the improving level of well-being as a result of progress in health development and services as well as more widespread counseling," said Suharto as written by G. Dwipayana and Ramadhan KH in Suharto's book: My Minds, Words, and Actions (1989).

Suharto continued to make efforts to make the KB program a success. He also supported the establishment of the Banjaran Kondomok Factory and inaugurated it on February 25, 1987. The presence of the factory is considered a step forward to produce the need for abundant contraceptives.

The Banjaran Kondomok Factory, located in Batukarut Village, Bandung Regency, West Java, is predicted to be the largest condom factory in Southeast Asia. The factory claimed 3.1 hectares of land. As a start, the target for the production of condoms is at 72 million condoms out of a total capacity of 129.6 million condoms per year.

"The implementation of a family planning must be felt as the needs of the community itself and carried out consciously by wives and husbands together. Make the norms of a prosperous and happy small family into the norms of our families."

"Phasely by step in releasing foreign dependence, so that we can be self-sufficient in all fields that we can produce ourselves," said Suharto in his factory inauguration speech as quoted by Sri Wahyuni in the book Family Planning Service (2022).