Govt will set up new health body<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government plans to establish a new agency
\nto deal with increasing public complaints concerning drug and
\nfood qualities, a senior official of the Ministry of Health
\nannounced yesterday.<\/p>\n
The new agency is designed chiefly to protect consumers,
\nDirector General for Food and Drug Supervision Wisnu Katim said,
\nadding that the agency will be willing to work together with
\nconsumer agencies.<\/p>\n
The agency, which is being considered in the fiscal 1995\/96,
\nwill have a representative office in each of the 27 provinces.<\/p>\n
Besides dealing with complaints, the agency will also act as
\nan information center on drugs and food products, Wisnu told a
\nhearing with the House of Representatives' Commission VIII.<\/p>\n
The directorate general supervises the quality, manufacturing
\nand distribution of all drugs and food and beverages in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
The office has come under criticism in the past for its lax
\ncontrol. Consumer agencies repeatedly found and reported products
\non supermarket shelves that were past the expiry date and food
\ncontaining harmful substances.<\/p>\n
Wisnu said that besides conducting laboratory tests, his
\noffice also makes on the spot inspections on the quality of food
\nand drugs sold to the public.<\/p>\n
Last year, the directorate general found no less than 90,000
\ncans of food and beverages in supermarkets and with distributors
\nin Jakarta that were deemed hazardous to consumers' health.<\/p>\n
The manufacturers and distributors have been reprimanded and
\nsome were prosecuted, he said.<\/p>\n
Asked about the position of the directorate general in the
\ncurrent controversy over the plan to control the sales of
\nalcoholic drinks, Wisnu said his office is not involved in the
\nproposed scheme.<\/p>\n
A private company, PT Arbamass, was recently licensed by the
\nMinistry of Home Affairs to control the sales of alcoholic
\nbeverages. Under the plan, all such drinks must carry stickers
\nissued by the company before being sold to the public.<\/p>\n
The country's beer manufacturers are objecting to the hefty
\nfee they have to pay for the stickers and have threatened to
\nrelocate their plants outside Indonesia if the plan is enforced.
\n(29)<\/p>",
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