Indonesia's President calls for drugmaker support

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, speaking at the opening ceremony for the 13th National Meeting of the Association of Pharmaceutical Companies in Jakarta, has issued a call for drugmakers to support the government's program for subsidized medicines. At the same event, Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari gave details of the "Everything priced 1,000 rupiah" ($0.11) and People's Dispensaries schemes.

President Yudhoyono's speech focused extensively on the drug firms' corporate social responsibility. He said: "let's make the government's program a success and make sure that affordable medicines are always available for the people. The production of inexpensive but good quality medicines sold at 1,000 rupiah each, in my mind, is one of our efforts to implement the pro-people program." He added that a tax incentive to encourage drugmakers would be a consideration.

The President also warned that Indonesian drugmakers must improve the quality of their export products. He said: "let's seize the opportunity to enter the mainstream of the world pharmaceutical business. Don't be left behind by India and China."