Sat, 16 Sep 1995

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)