TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Health Ministry has requested state-owned pharmaceutical companies to produce raw materials for drugs. “As much as 96 percent of raw materials for drugs are imported,” said Director General for Pharmaceutical and Health Equipment Advisory, Maura Linda Sitanggang at the Graha Sawala, Coordinating Ministry for the Economy on Thursday, June 21, 2012. As a country renowned for its richness in herbal plants, it is odd for Indonesia to continue to rely on imported raw materials for drugs, namely from India and China. She hopes to meet with officials from the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises and impress on them that state-owned companies such as Indofarma, Kimia Farma, and Biofarma could become pioneers in producing raw materials for drugs. This plan, according to Linda, was already recommended when Endang Rahayu was Health Minister. “Because Ibu became ill and subsequently passed away, it has been slightly delayed,” she said. SUNDARI