Standardization is key to ensuring consumer safety. It can also help boost product competitiveness and combat global trade challenges.

The deaths of over 150 children caused by Acute Kidney Injuries (AKI) that had occurred since the start of the year had left the Indonesian public in a state of unrest. Similar to the AKI cases that occurred in Gambia in western Africa, the kidney injuries were linked to syrup medicines suspected of being contaminated with ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG), two chemicals commonly used in antifreeze and other industrial applications, but also as a cheaper alternative in some pharmaceutical products to glycerine, a solvent or thickening agent in many cough syrups. 

During the ongoing investigation of the cause of the deaths, the Indonesian Food and Drug Agency (BPOM) revoked the licenses for syrup-type drug production of two local firms for violating manufacturing rules. BPOM Chief Penny Kusumastuti Lukito said the two firms produced drugs with substandard raw materials, and used some materials in excess of guidelines, as reported by Reuters. Mrs. Lukito added that the agency was pursuing criminal actions against the firms. 

The case of deadly syrup medicines is an important example of why product supervision and consumer protection in Indonesia should remain high in the government’s list of priorities. Medicines – just like food and other products that are consumed or come in direct contact with consumers – should be monitored and ensured that they are delivered with consistent quality, safety, and security.  

In light of recent events, the implementation of standardization, conformity assessment, accreditation, and methodology are highly critical. In coordination with relevant ministries and government agencies, the National Standardization Agency (BSN) is accountable for the stipulation of the Indonesian National Standard or SNI – the only standard that applies nationally in the country – along with the BPOM label for food and drugs.  

Although the BSN has already certified as many as 11,647 products with SNIs, there are still plenty of other products in the market that do not have SNI certification. The reasons behind this are the complications and high cost of obtaining SNIs, especially for MSMEs. This was also criticized by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, at the “Proudly Made in Indonesia” Affirmation Action in Bali, earlier this year.  

One of the objectives of SNI is to increase the competitiveness of local products. As said by the Secretary of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Susiwijono Moegiarso in his speech at the Public Consultation - National Policy on Standardization and Conformity Assessment, on Tuesday, October 4, 2022: “The policy of Standardization and National Conformity Assessment through the SNI basically has two main objectives, namely to achieve an increase in the competitiveness of our national products and to improve the quality of life in the nation”. 

To the government’s credit, it has shown commitment to utilizing standards for consumer protection and increasing business competitiveness, as demonstrated through the International Standards Summit (ISS) 2022 in Bali. As the host of this event, BSN, together with the International Standard Organization (ISO) and other relevant international organizations, invited world leaders to address the priority issues of G20 2022 and to achieve the SDGs through the formulation of policies that refer to international standards.  

On this occasion, the Head of BSN Kukuh S. Achmad stated that the development of standards in Indonesia was carried out independently and was adopted from international standards. Currently, out of the total SNIs mentioned above, 2,066 of them are developed through identical adoption of international standards.  

Indonesia is an emerging market where new innovations and technologies are expected to proliferate in the coming years. Well-developed SNI and its harmonization with international standards can contribute to increasing the country’s economic progress and providing a better quality of life for the citizens. More importantly, it could save lives.