Consumer law gets mixed reaction from businesspeople
Consumer law gets mixed reaction from businesspeople
JAKARTA (JP): The implementation of the consumer protection
law on April 21, 2000 has aroused mixed reactions from the
business community.
A number of business organizations, including the Indonesian
Retailers Association, the Association of Food and Beverage
Producers and other business associations have lodged complaints
demanding more time to study and understand the law.
A number of company executives shared their opinions,
preparations and strategies in welcoming the implementation of
the law.
Tonny Pranatadjaja, corporate relations director of PT
Unilever Indonesia Tbk. and president of the Indonesian Cosmetics
Association:
The issuance of the consumer protection law justifies our
commitment to producing products of high standards. In a fair and
global business system such a law is very common.
Yet we have to realize that not all business entrepreneurs,
especially the middle to small-scale ones, are ready and
understand the whole content of the law and the consequences that
follow.
Besides, these companies will have to make major preparations
which will certainly require additional funds. For example, they
have to upgrade their factory equipment, improve the standard of
the products and provide training for their workers.
It is good to implement the law, but the government should
make extra efforts to promote it and to allow more time and
tolerance to these small and middle level companies in adopting
the law. Technical assistance for these levels of companies are
also needed.
On the other hand, large-scale or multinational companies have
been designed to be more consumer oriented firms. We only need
some minor adjustments to the law in terms of language.
PT Unilever Indonesia is ready to adopt and to abide by the
consumer protection law and we don't have to make any change in
our policy which is already in line with the law.
Our company must maintain the standard of our products without
increasing the prices, despite the ongoing crisis.
Doddy Amaruddin, vice president of communications at PT
Telkom:
The company launched a number of important strategies a few
years ago in the face of the enforcement of the consumer
protection law.
Our first action was to train and provide the company's front
liners, officials and directors with a comprehensive knowledge of
the law.
We expect that the entire staff of PT Telkom will have
understood all aspects included in the law when it becomes
effective on April 21.
The second stage was to replace old and run down equipment,
networks and operating systems with more sophisticated ones in
order to meet consumer demand.
We have been working and trying hard to improve our services,
although we understand there are still many complaints from our
subscribers.
For PT Telkom, the implementation of the law will protect both
producers and consumers and the company must be ready to face any
claims or complaints lodged by consumers.
The problem is that the government has not yet made any
serious or clear attempts to inform and to educate both companies
and the public about their rights and obligations.
PT Telkom has been proactive in educating its consumers and
staff about their rights through various forms of media,
including seminars, public talks and joint programs with the
Indonesian Consumers Foundation and other related agencies.
The government has always been too late in taking action. But,
better late than never.
Gatot Wibowo, public relations and communications director of
PJKA railway company:
The consumer protection law can no longer be delayed, whatever
the reason.
PJKA warmly welcomes the implementation of the law as an
effective means to push its staff to work better, which will in
turn affect the comfort and safety of our customers.
PJKA said that the year 2000 would be the Year of Service,
meaning that the company pledges to totally upgrade its fleet, to
hold more training in human resources and offer consumer
guarantees.
I hope we can change our image to being the most reliable and
affordable transportation means for the majority of Indonesians.
We receive a lot of complaints on delayed train schedules,
dirty cars, unfriendly train attendants and many others.
The company plans to overhaul the existing system, starting
from its fleet, infrastructure, facilities in every railway
station and ticketing, as well as other supporting facilities.
Of course it will cost a lot of money, but this is one of our
major strategies in the 21st century.
Maryono, head of the customer and public affairs division of
state electricity company PT PLN:
The company has created various programs and launched
strategies to anticipate the issuance of the law.
Since last year, when the law was endorsed by the legislature,
PLN has trained its internal staff, especially those who work in
divisions which directly deal with customers and the public.
We cannot say we are ready to face all the possible
consequences, but we are trying our best to equip our workers
with adequate knowledge of the law.
To satisfy our customers, we have made a thorough assessment
and new arrangement of the company's service standards applied in
every unit throughout country.
We have also made some adjustments to our administrative and
technical systems to meet with the varying demands of our
customers.
Like facing the possible threat of the Y2K (millennium) bug
last New Year's Eve, we do not yet know what will happen next.
Ariyanto Zainal, president director of MAC909 Advertising
Company:
The implementation of the consumer protection law will create
a fair and healthy business environment.
I know that under the law, advertising companies and their
clients bear similar burdens and responsibilities for the impact
of their advertisements.
Currently, advertising companies create advertisements based
on orders from clients. Usually, they give us information and the
necessary materials relating to what should appear in their
advertisements. Up to now, we have not responsible for the
content of the advertisements. We have only dealt with how to
effectively communicate the messages of the products, which are
sometimes inappropriate and even misleading.
Actually, we have specific ethical codes which regulate the
country's advertising business. But the codes are legally weak.
There are no strict sanctions enforced on violators of the codes.
With the implementation of the law, the business world will be
more well organized as everybody will know their place.
The law will force every part of the business world to be
transparent and honest. Presently, some clients often hide
information about their products in order to boost the quality of
the goods in their advertisements.
Under the law, they have to clearly give us all the required
material and information and we have to also create informative
and truthful advertisements.
It is a challenge for us to act professionally. (raw/ste)