T

he government will expand the mandatory use of the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) industrial benchmark to 66 more products this year as part of its efforts to improve the quality of local products ahead of the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.

'€œThe mandatory SNI will cover 66 more products this year. They will include food and beverages, electronics, textiles and textile products,'€ the Industry Ministry'€™s director general for industrial policy, Arryanto Sagala, said in Jakarta on Thursday.

Arryanto said that besides to provide consumers with more protection from harmful products, the increase in SNI coverage would also be needed to curb the influx of foreign goods, especially after the ASEAN single market was implemented at the end of 2015.

National standardization would become more urgent because with the implementation of the AEC, goods from other ASEAN countries would be able to enter Indonesia without any tariff barriers, he said. But, foreign goods should also comply with the SNI standard if they enter the Indonesian market.

As of March 2014, the Industry Ministry has imposed the mandatory SNI on 94 products, which comprise six agro-based products; 12 food and beverages; 25 basic metals, iron and steel; 12 fertilizers and petrochemicals; three athletic shoes and leather goods; and one for textiles and textile products.

Industry Minister MS Hidayat said that the establishment of the ASEAN single market would create a bigger market for Indonesian companies. '€œWe should seize the opportunity that comes with AEC implementation,'€ he said. He, however, said that to seize opportunity, Indonesian companies needed to improve the quality of their products.

'€œWith the SNI, local manufacturers will be able to improve the quality of their goods and services,'€ he added.

However, complying with the SNI was not easy, said Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairman Suryo Bambang Sulisto.

'€œThere are many obstacles in implementing mandatory SNI,'€ said Suryo.

The country still faced basic problems, namely a lack of testing facilities, lack of calibration of production tools, limited reliable human resources and low awareness among domestic entrepreneurs of SNI rules, said Suryo.

'€œWe have to admit that awareness of the quality, security and environmental aspects of goods and services is low,'€ said Suryo. '€œWithout national standardization, domestic goods and services cannot compete with imported goods from other countries in this region,'€ said Suryo.

The government should help small and medium businesses (UKM) meet the SNI standards on account of high costs. '€œUKM, among other requirements, need technology upgrades when implementing SNI. We know that it is not cheap,'€ said Suryo. According to the Industry Ministry'€™s website, for textile companies, the cost to get SNI certification is about Rp 14.2 million (US$1,240). It consists of Rp 100,000 for enrollment, Rp 500,000 for assessment, Rp 7 million for a field audit, Rp 100,000 for a certificate, Rp 4 million for technical teams, Rp 1,5 million for the certification process and Rp 1 million for a sample product. (alz)