BPOM Oversight Equivalent to International Standards

Jakarta - The Head of the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM), Taruna Ikrar, has emphasised that the standards applied by BPOM in overseeing drugs and food, including cosmetic products, comply with international standards. This is reflected in the World Health Organization’s recognition of BPOM through the WHO Listed Authority (WLA), which proves that BPOM meets high and credible international standards in health product oversight. “The evidence of being in the world’s top 10 is what we have obtained, called the WHO Listed Authority, WLA. And we only obtained it last December,” Taruna said when met in Jakarta on Wednesday. “We are now on a par with the United States, on a par with the European Medicines Agency, on a par with Japan’s PMDA, on a par with South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, on a par with Australia’s TGA, and Singapore’s HSA,” Taruna added. Consequently, he stated, various aspects of safety, efficacy, and quality of local products that have received BPOM circulation permits possess the same standards as foreign products, so their quality need not be doubted. He called on Indonesian society to trust domestic products that have obtained BPOM approval, so that local products can dominate their own country. “Our shared dream in Perkosmi is to displace K-Beauty, perhaps in 10 years, we want to create I-Beauty, Indonesian Beauty,” said CEO of Martha Tilaar Group, Kilala Tilaar. She assessed that Indonesian products have values no less than foreign brands, although they currently face their own challenges.