House wants more powerful BPOM

House wants more powerful BPOM

JAKARTA: The House of Representatives demanded on Thursday
that the government shift the authority to issue food and drug
licenses to the Food and Drug Control Body (BPOM) from the
Ministry of Health.

Chairman of House Commission VII on health and population
Posma Tobing said overlapping authorities between the two
government institution had caused confusion and unnecessary
expenses on the part of food and drug producers.

Posma said in a hearing with BPOM here some pharmaceutical
companies had registered their products with both institutions
due to the confusion.

"The problem lies in the unclear legal authority," Posma
Tobing said.

Citing an example, he said there are overlapping authorities
between the two institutions regarding pharmaceutical and health
equipment.

Government Regulation No. 72/1998 says the Ministry of Health
is the only authorized institution to issue licenses for
companies to distribute the equipment, but Presidential Decree
No. 103/2001 stipulates that issuance of licenses and the control
over distribution of products of pharmaceutical companies lies in
the hands of BPOM. -- JP