YLKI protects consumers' interests<\/p>\n
Text by Rita A. Widiadana and photos by Arief Suhardiman<\/p>\n
Have you ever received candy in lieu of change? Or bought expired
\ngoods or medicines in a supermarket? Frustratingly, there is no
\none to complain to. Service providers have long taken advantage
\nof the weak position of consumers in Indonesia. The independent
\nIndonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) was set up in l973 with
\nthe single aim of protecting local consumers from negligent
\nbusinesses. Gradually, consumers have become more aware of their
\nrights and interests, forcing the government and businesses to
\nheed their wants. In conjunction with YLKI's 23rd anniversary
\nyesterday, The Jakarta Post interviewed its new chairwoman to
\nlearn about her strategies to protect local consumers.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Be yourself and they will accept your style,
\nsays Suhartini Hadad, popularly known as Tini Hadad.<\/p>\n
The newly-elected chairwoman of Indonesia's most vocal
\nconsumer organization is not as flamboyant as her predecessors
\nPermadi, Erna Witoelar and Zoemrotin, but has the same drive.<\/p>\n
There isn't any indication that the soft-spoken, loving mother
\nwill change the Indonesian Consumers Foundation's aggressive
\nprograms. The new chairwoman has pledged to continue YLKI's
\ncommitment to struggle for the rights and interests of local
\nconsumers.<\/p>\n
"I will fight in my own way and with the strong support from
\nmy dedicated staff. YLKI will still be on the same track," says
\nTini, who started her three-year leadership in January.<\/p>\n
She says she has been criticized about her leadership style
\nbut never takes it personally.<\/p>\n
"I was criticized by my own staff. They scolded me for being
\ntoo soft when arguing with businesspeople and government
\nofficers," she admits, adding that the foundation's democratic
\nsystem has worked well for two decades, Tini said.<\/p>\n
"This is not a place where people can dream of making money.
\nIt is a matter of commitment to the things we believe in. YLKI
\noffers nothing but a sense of pride and independence to its
\nworkers and volunteers," Tini explains.<\/p>\n
Chance led Tini to join YLKI in l977.<\/p>\n
"I just wanted to help Erna (Erna Witoelar) because I was
\nstill a mother of two young children."<\/p>\n
After working for a year as a volunteer, she fell in love with
\nthe organization which, she says, offers a "very healthy"
\nenvironment. She worked full-time between l978 and l980 as the
\nfoundation's education staff member. In l981, Tini had to leave
\nthe foundation to accompany her husband Ismid Hadad, a former
\n1966 campus activist and a journalist, to the United States. In
\nl986, Tini returned to YLKI and became secretary during Erna's
\nleadership. She was vice-chairwoman to Zoemrotin between l989 and
\nl995.<\/p>\n
"YLKI's staff consists of highly motivated individuals. During
\nits early period, almost all the staff worked on a voluntary
\nbasis because we didn't have enough money to cover our
\nactivities, let alone pay the staff," she recalls.<\/p>\n
Even now, she says, a fresh university graduate who joins the
\nfoundation receives between Rp 150,000 and Rp 200,000 (US$63.82
\nand $85.10) a month. They could earn between Rp 1 million and Rp
\n2 million a month at other firms.<\/p>\n
It is no wonder that YLKI's headquarters in the Duren Tiga
\narea of South Jakarta serves as both its office and a home to its
\nunmarried staff members.<\/p>\n
Complaints<\/p>\n
Despite the lack of material incentives, YLKI's staff works
\nhard to identify and solve consumer problems. The foundation
\nreceives and processes an average of 100 complaints a day.<\/p>\n
Complaints from local consumers about the poor quality of
\ngoods and services have increased since the 1980s, as people have
\ncome to understand their rights and interests better, Tini says.<\/p>\n
The majority of the grievances are about the poor quality of
\nfood products, household appliances and services, including
\nelectricity, telephone, transportation, hospital and banking.<\/p>\n
YLKI also conducts research and surveys on issues related to
\nthe public's complaints. Its research has resulted in important
\ndiscoveries, such as the use of formalin, the main substance for
\npreserving dead bodies, in noodles, tofu and meatballs. It also
\nfound that various hazardous synthetic substances, such as methyl
\norange, rhodamine B and orange RN, that are usually applied to
\ncolor textiles, are added to snacks and beverages aimed at young
\nconsumers.<\/p>\n
YLKI's aggressive efforts to protect consumers have frequently
\nlanded it in court. Recently, a real estate company filed a libel
\nsuit against the foundation and demanded Rp 1.5 billion
\n($650,000) in restitution for allegedly damaging the company's
\nreputation.<\/p>\n
"We never back down from our fight against irresponsible
\nbusinesses. They are cheating their consumers. There is no
\ncompromise with these people," warns Tini.<\/p>\n
Both government and businesses consider YLKI their opposition
\nrather than their partner.<\/p>\n
"They still have a wrong perception towards our organization,"
\nTini says. The foundation's objective is to create a strong
\nnetwork among the government, businesses and consumer advocacy
\ngroups to help protect consumers' rights.<\/p>\n
The government, she says, has the power to write various
\nconsumer protection regulations but does not have the political
\nwill to implement them. Indonesian legislators seem to have
\nlittle understanding of consumer issues, and they rarely voice
\nthe aspirations of consumers. A consumer protection bill was
\nproposed 15 years ago, but it has not yet been processed.<\/p>\n
"We are working hard to mobilize all parts of society to
\nencourage the legislative body to issue a law to protect
\nconsumers," Tini says.<\/p>\n
Strategies<\/p>\n
Under Tini's leadership, YLKI has set up a number of
\nstrategies to strengthen the organization's internal and external
\naffairs.<\/p>\n
Improving its management system and raising more local
\ndonations is YLKI's first step in tidying up its internal
\naffairs.<\/p>\n
"We need more funds to finance our activities. If we have more
\nfunds we can do a lot more research and surveys and help local
\nconsumer advocacy groups work properly," Tini says.<\/p>\n
YLKI's overheads reach Rp 200 million a year, and the
\nfoundation needs another Rp 600 million a year to finance its
\nactivities. It receives Rp 50 million from the government and
\nanother Rp 50 million from individual sponsors.<\/p>\n
The rest comes from foreign agencies, including the United
\nStates Agency for International Development (USAID), the Ford
\nFoundation and the Asia Foundation.<\/p>\n
Another strategy is to build a strong network with related
\nagencies, including government offices, business circles,
\nuniversities, the mass media, and local and international
\nconsumer advocacy groups.<\/p>\n
The foundation is a member of the Netherlands-based
\nInternational Organization on Consumers Unions. It has close
\nliaison with Consumer Interpol, the Consumer Educators Network,
\nHealth Action International, Action for Rational Drugs in Asia,
\nand the Consumer Information and Documentation Center.<\/p>\n
"If we have strong lobbying power we can work together to
\nachieve our utmost dream of protecting consumers's interests,"
\nTini concludes.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ylki-protects-consumers-interests-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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