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)