Scientists want certification agency

Scientists want certification agency

SERPONG, West Java (JP): Scientists ended their five-day
meeting here yesterday, calling for the establishment of an
independent certification body to earn the world's trust in local
products.

They said that Indonesia needs to have an independent
certification institution to improve the competitiveness of its
products on the world market.

"It is high time for Indonesia to have such an independent
institution that, in fact, it should be established in the coming
few months instead of years," congress chairman Parangtopo said.

"At the present the certification agency is run by the
government. How reliable can its assessments be?" he asked. "For
example, how reliable is it when it says that doctors having
graduated from state universities are better than those from
private schools?"

The meeting also questioned the government's authority to
accredit privately-owned education and health institutions.

The congress, attended by around 600 scientists from various
disciplines, was held at the National Research Board premises in
Serpong, 35 kilometers southwest of Jakarta.

Kartono Muhammad, who chaired the Forum for Scientists, said
the government-run certification body will no longer be credible
because it does not have the capability to carry out its jobs.

"Certifying that a doctor has met national qualifications
should not be done by the government but by an independent
institution in cooperation with the Indonesian Medical
Association," he said.

Kartono, former Medical Association chairman, said that the
association met opposition from the government and the Indonesian
Institute of Sciences when it proposed an independent
certification agency in 1982.

"Now that Indonesia is facing many difficulties during
economic liberalization, the government realizes its importance,"
he said.

Warning

He warned that Indonesian professionals will not be able to
compete with their foreign competitors unless they make
improvements in time for the coming decade of liberalized world
trade.

With the enforcement of the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade and the ASEAN Free Trade Area, for example, Indonesia will
no longer be able to prevent foreign professionals from entering
the country, he said.

Even at the present, many foreign professionals, such as
consultants, accountants and engineers, have been employed in
Indonesia, generally at wages higher than what locals earn.

Kartono said that the proposed certification institution would
cooperate with professional associations to set standards for
providing certification.

He suggested that qualifications of professionals, the quality
of education and health institutions as well as local products be
reviewed regularly.

For example, physicians should have their qualifications
evaluated on a regular basis to ensure that they can perform
their jobs as required.

Samaun Samadikun, chairman of the congress's steering
committee, said that the five-day meeting had paid serious
attention to the development of the country's human resources.

"This all has, of course, to do with all the developments in
the international world, especially in the trade sector," he
said.(rms)