Govt forms consumer protection Agency

Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After a lengthy delay, the government inaugurated on Tuesday the National Consumer Protection Agency (BPKN), as mandated by Law No. 8/1999 on consumer protection.

Minister of Industry and Trade Rini Soewandi installed 17 members of the BPKN for the period of 2004-2007.

The members include government officials Teddy Setiadi, Enny Suhaeni Bakri and Erningsih Haryadi; academics AZ Nasution, Purwiyatno Hariyadi, Johannes Gunawan and Bernadette Waluyo; and experts Anwar Ibrahim, Entjeng Shobirin, Syargawi and Hasanuddin.

NGO activists Indah Suksmaningsih, Suartini Hadad and Gunarto, and businessmen Handaka Santosa, Franciscus Welirang and Rachmat Gobel are also members of the agency.

Rachmat is a candidate for minister of industry under incoming president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who will assume office and announce his cabinet on Wednesday. If Rachmat is selected to the Cabinet, he would have to resign from the BPKN.

The agency's duties will include giving recommendations to the government in taking measures to protect consumers, Rini said in a speech.

She said the delay in inaugurating the BPKN was due to the lengthy approval process prospective members had to go through at the House of Representatives.

Indonesian Consumers Foundation chairwoman Indah said that although the BPKN did not have the power to punish companies for violating consumers' rights, she was still optimistic the agency could help protect consumers, particularly given the impressive backgrounds of its members.

She said the new agency would likely first work on establishing a code of ethics for manufacturers, and a standard form of business agreements with consumers in the property, banking and insurance industries.