Government Accused of Neglecting Consumer Protection by Ignoring UUPK Revisions

Jakarta, VIVA – The Indonesian Forward Consumer Protection Foundation (YPKIM) assesses that the government has neglected to enhance legal certainty for consumer protection in Indonesia after ignoring revisions to Law No. 8 of 1999 on Consumer Protection, or the Consumer Protection Law (UUPK). YPKIM founder and former BPKN Commissioner, Dr. Rolas Budiman Sitinjak, opines that after 27 years, the government appears to lack the will to fundamentally improve the Consumer Protection Law. “Now 27 years have passed. There has not been a single substantial revision to the UUPK,” said Rolas in his statement on Monday, 20 April 2026. However, he emphasises that the world has changed radically, with the digital economy exploding, cross-border transactions becoming everyday occurrences, artificial intelligence entering the realm of trade, and scams against consumers becoming increasingly sophisticated. “Yet the UUPK remains rigidly in the same place,” he stated. Therefore, Rolas says this is certainly not an ordinary government negligence. According to him, the government has deliberately chosen not to provide legal certainty to Indonesian consumers. In his view, the National Consumer Protection Agency (BPKN) is not given adequate authority. Even the Consumer Dispute Settlement Agencies in various regions are threatened with dissolution or dysfunction. “Consumer protection budgets continue to be cut. Meanwhile, disadvantaged consumers struggle alone against large business entities,” said Rolas. In fact, in 2026, Indonesian consumers are the most vulnerable. Many consumers are tempted by misleading advertisements and experience personal data leaks, with many unsafe products circulating widely. “More than 70 percent of trade transactions have shifted to digital platforms. Millions of Indonesians have become victims of illegal online loans, fake products freely circulating on marketplaces, misleading advertisements, and personal data breaches involving large business entities,” said Rolas. Unfortunately, Rolas continues, in the 2026 Priority Prolegnas, the government and DPR appear to be ignoring the Consumer Protection Bill. Yet statistics from BPKN record thousands of consumer complaints every year, even though not a single new legal instrument has emerged to address them. “However, the Consumer Protection Bill, which is the only legal instrument that directly protects all 280 million Indonesian people, is placed at number 11, without a concrete discussion schedule, without clear completion targets, and without real political will from the government,” he stated.