National Herbal Industry vs. China Herbal

JAKARTA. Herbal medicine manufacturer requires the government that restriction on the import of herbal medicine and cosmetics will be realized. Minister of Trade Mari Elka Pangestu said, both products have been put under the government proposal on changes of regulation of minister of trade number: 56/2008. This regulation requires that some products may only be imported through specific ports. "Now, such referred proposed regulation is under process at the office of Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs," said Mari.

Later, she said, the regulation of minister of trade number: 56/2008 will not only regulate the location of the port, but also on the obligations of Surveyor Report (LS) to the government. Which contents thereof is a report on the realization of imports, both quantity and value of products, which are imported. The national medicinal producers accused the Government of China has been applying unfair treatment for medicinal products from Indonesia. China herbal medicine could be easily swept into Indonesia, but with various excuses, in China, the same are not prevailing for herbal medicine from Indonesia. Therefore, the national herbal producers asked the government to restrict or tighten the import of herbs come from China. The method is, they asked the government to immediately implement a regulation on national standard of Indonesia (SNI) for China herbal. In addition to that, the government should require China's herbal medicine industry to trade in the domestic market using raw materials from Indonesia. "This will stop the onslaught of the herbal medicine of China," said Chairman of the Herbal Producers Association (GP) Charles Saerang, (01/27) Asnil Bambani Amri, Raymond Reynaldi