Consumers remain unprotected, YLKI says<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesian consumers, particularly those from the ranks of the
\nmiddle class and the poor, are yet to receive the kind of
\nprotection they deserve due to the inadequacy of government
\npolicy.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Consumers' Foundation (YLKI) said in its year-
\nend review that such a situation persisted because the government
\nwas still not serious about protecting consumer rights.<\/p>\n
Most of the public complaints filed with the Foundation
\nconsist of gripes about unaffordable increases in the price of
\nfuel, electricity, water, telephone usage, public transportation
\nand staple foods.<\/p>\n
"We can understand some of the government's arguments on
\ntariff hikes, but several policies are illogical. We are of the
\nopinion that they have been devised to reduce the government's
\neconomic burdens by shifting them to the people's shoulders,"
\nYLKI chairwoman Indah Suksmaningsih said on Friday.<\/p>\n
She also expressed concern over the lack of benefits accruing
\nto consumers as a consequence of price rises, such as improved
\nservices.<\/p>\n
YLKI also questioned the government's commitment to the
\nimplementation of Law No. 8\/1999 on Consumers' Protection in
\nrelation to the establishment of two national agencies on
\nconsumer protection and dispute settlement.<\/p>\n
The consumer watchdog said that businesses, state enterprises
\nand regional administrations continued to ignore the consumer
\nprotection law and failed to provide appropriate services,
\nespecially to the poor.<\/p>\n
"Under the current administration neither President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri nor her aides has made a commitment or policies
\nabout their seriousness to protect consumers' rights. This
\nsituation has meant that people have found it difficult to file
\ncomplaints or demand their rights.<\/p>\n
"We sincerely hope that next year Megawati, who is a housewife
\nherself, will fulfill her promise to help YLKI as she once said
\nthat the organization would not walk alone," Indah said.<\/p>\n
Also on Friday, the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) criticized
\nthe government's decision to extend the plantation pilot project
\nfor hazardous transgenic cotton plants in several provinces
\nthroughout Indonesia without preliminary examination of the
\nimpact of genetically modified seeds.<\/p>\n
PAN, along with YLKI and other non-governmental organizations,
\nhas filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Agriculture's policy
\nbut the district court decided that a thorough analysis was not
\nneeded before opening the testing fields for transgenic plants.<\/p>\n
The case is now before the State Administrative High Court.<\/p>\n
PAN chairman Riza V. Tjahjadi demanded that the government be
\nmore transparent on the issue, since cotton plantations would not
\nbe beneficial to farmers as the long dry season next year would
\nruin the expected good harvest.<\/p>\n
"Moreover, the textile and textile-related industries are
\nplummeting. Farmers should be provided with information on how
\nmany of their products will reach the market and their prices,"
\nhe said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/consumers-remain-unprotected-ylki-says-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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