BPOM and AmChan Explore Strengthening Investment and Innovation in Health Products
Jakarta – The Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia (AmCham) have discussed developments in national pharmaceutical and food regulatory policies and explored opportunities to strengthen collaboration in supporting innovation and investment in the health and food industries.
AmCham Indonesia is an association representing American companies operating in Indonesia, including those in pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, and health products. The organisation serves as a communication channel between business operators and government to support a conducive investment climate and strengthen economic partnerships between Indonesia and the United States.
“The total revenue from the pharmaceutical and food industries is very substantial. Therefore, we want to ensure that BPOM can also contribute to supporting national economic growth through efficient and investment-friendly regulation,” said BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar in Jakarta on Monday.
Accordingly, BPOM continues to support various regulatory reforms to accelerate service delivery whilst increasing certainty for business operators. “If we accelerate drug marketing authorisation evaluation from 300 days to 90 days, many previously unnecessary costs can be made more efficient. For industry, waiting time represents a significant cost,” he explained.
Beyond accelerating drug evaluation, BPOM is also improving the efficiency of other services, including speeding up the issuance of Import Authorisation Letters (SKI) to facilitate logistics flows and support business operations.
During the meeting, the BPOM Head also referenced economic cooperation between Indonesia and the United States in the context of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART). Taruna explained that such cooperation does not diminish national authority in pharmaceutical and food supervision; rather, it can strengthen regulatory efficiency through utilising the evaluation results of other regulators as scientific references through reliance mechanisms.
According to him, dialogue between regulators and industry operators is an important part of strengthening a transparent, adaptive, and globally competitive regulatory ecosystem.
Through constructive communication, BPOM and AmCham Indonesia are expected to continue strengthening collaboration in supporting innovation, investment, and public health protection in Indonesia.
An AmCham representative explained that American companies have operated in Indonesia for decades and are an important part of the development of the national health and food industries. Coca-Cola Indonesia will even celebrate 100 years of its presence in Indonesia in 2027.
During the meeting, AmCham conveyed that American companies are committed to continuing long-term investment in Indonesia. They also hope to strengthen collaboration with government in creating a stable and sustainable investment climate. “The most important thing for investors is the investment climate and certainty of regulation and policy to continue operating and developing in Indonesia,” said an AmCham representative.
AmCham Indonesia announced plans for a US business trade mission to Indonesia in April 2026, which is expected to open new investment and business cooperation opportunities across various sectors, including health and food.
In response, BPOM welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed its commitment to promoting increased investment in the health and food industries in Indonesia, including utilising Indonesia’s natural resources as raw materials for high-value health and cosmetic products. “BPOM is prepared to facilitate investment as long as safety, efficacy, and quality standards for products on the market are maintained,” said Taruna.