Firms named to improve local auto repair shops
Firms named to improve local auto repair shops
JAKARTA (JP): The government has appointed two firms to run a
certification program aimed to encourage small local auto repair
shops to improve their quality to compete with international
brand workshops.
The firms are state-owned surveyor PT Sucofindo and privately-
owned surveyor PT Sawu Indonesia.
Sawu's president Bambang Tribudiman said on Friday that the
two companies were appointed to certify the quality of the small
workshop's services and, by issuing them with certification, help
boost customers confidence in their services.
As such, Bambang said, the small workshops could net customers
amid competition with international brand workshops.
"It is hoped that with the certification, local smaller auto
workshops won't lose out to workshops with international brand
names," he told reporters.
He noted however the certification program would be carried on
the voluntary basis, which means small workshops are free whether
to participate in the program or not.
The certification program is based on the Industry and Trade
Ministerial decree No. 551/1999 aimed to improve the quality of
local auto workshops.
The 1999 decree made it compulsory for local auto workshops --
both for car workshops and motorcycle workshops -- to get
certified to determine the quality of their services.
The decree was amended in 2001, which no longer made the
certification program compulsory.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade appointed the firms to run
the certification program on June 15 this year.
Head for quality and service at Sucofindo's automotive
verification and testing division, Januar Fendry, said that there
was a threat of local general workshops being overridden by
international brand auto shops.
Large international brand auto workshops dominated the local
market despite the fact they were only about 850 compared to
more than 1,000 general workshops across Indonesia, he noted.
"We do not want to see what has happened with retailers to
happen with auto workshops," Januar said, referring to the
dominant international retailers taking business away from local
retailers.
Januar said under the certification program, the workshops
would be categorized in nine classes that is 1A through to 3C
with the 1A being the top class.
"Workshops on three top classes that is 1A, 1B, and 1C are
considered to have service quality almost equal to those which
receive the ISO 9000 certificate," he said.
He said the two companies already certified 10 auto workshops
initially, and was currently assessing nine more workshops, he
said.
"The Minister of Industry and Trade will officially present
the certificates (to the ten auto workshops) on Wednesday,"
Januar added. (tnt)