TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Health Office will issue a circular letter on the new ceiling price of PCR tests, following a circular from the Health Ministry about the issue. The Ministry's circular came into effect Tuesday, August 17.

However, the Health Office chief Widyastuti did not say the price determined for Jakarta. "Of course we will issue a circular by referring to the Health Ministry," she said at the City Hall on Wednesday, August 18.

The circular was issued after President Joko Widodo asked the Health Ministry to lower the price of RT PCR, from the initial maximum limit of Rp900,000 per test to Rp450,000—Rp550,000. An evaluation was immediately carried out by the Health Ministry together with the BPKP.

The Health Ministry then announced that the maximum price allowed for RT PCR is Rp495,000 for Java and Bali, and Rp550,000 for areas outside Java and Bali.

The ministry's director general of health services Abdul Kadir said that lowering the price for PCR tests is possible because the prices of a number of components have also decreased, including the price of reagents.

Kadir said the ministry will continue to evaluate the cap on the PCR test's price. "It is possible that when the time comes there will be another evaluation, and the price could go down further," Kadir said.

Read: Kimia Farma Lowers Price of PCR Test to Rp495,000

Adam Prireza