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