Govt to impose checks on products

Govt to impose checks on products

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government will field special investigators to ensure that
labeled goods sold at local markets are what they say they are.

The new policy is stated in the Ministry of Industry and
Trade's draft decree, which is expected to be issued this week.

The decree will be part of regulations to implement Consumer
Protection Law No. 8/1999, which seeks to protect consumers from
irresponsible producers or traders.

The inspectors, who will be recruited from among staff at the
ministry and the various regional governments, will be trained by
the police, but will report to the ministry's directorate general
of domestic trade.

Director General For Domestic Trade Ardiansyah S. Parman, said
the ministry would initially train 60 investigators.

"We have already set up a team of inspectors, who will be
placed in several provinces. They will purchase products secretly
and regularly to inspect their quality," Ardiansyah told The
Jakarta Post on Friday.

He said the supervision was aimed at ensuring both imported
and locally made products meet government-set standards.

"We want to assure consumers that the quality of products sold
at local markets is in accordance with the quality promised by
producers," Ardiansyah said.

Under Article 8 of the Consumer Protection Law, all producers
and traders are banned from producing and marketing products and
services that do not meet standards set by the government.

Producers and traders are also forbidden to deceive consumers
by falsifying the quality of their products.

Violators are threatened with five years in jail or a maximum
fine of Rp 2 billion (US$200,000), in addition to the revocation
of their business permit.

Sources at the ministry said investigators would initially
focus on 10 products, namely sugar, fertilizer, wheat flour, tire
casing, cement, electronics, energy-efficient lamps, zinc and
reinforced concrete steel.

Ardiansyah said producers and importers who sell their
products in the country must meet the government's rulings with
regards to labeling, marketing, advertising and after-sales
service.

On the labels, for example, the company must print the name of
the product, its specification, volume, and the identity of
producers and importers. The products should also carry labels
issued by the state-owned National Standardization Agency of
Indonesia (SNI).

With regards to long-term products, producers and traders have
to provide a guarantee of at least one year.

Many electronic products are now being sold on the local
market without guarantee. These are suspected to be smuggled
products.

"If a company declares the quality of its products and prints
it on the label, it must be held responsible," Ardiansyah said.

According to him, many local buyers remain ignorant about
product guarantees and quality and do not know whom to report to
when disappointed.

But now, Ardiansyah said, if there is such a case, consumers
can file complaints via his office and inspectors will covertly
purchase the same product and test it at a laboratory.

Meanwhile, Lee Kang Kyung, general manager of PT Samsung
Electronic Indonesia voiced doubts over the government's ability
to implement such a scheme due to lack of human resources.

"I welcome the plan, but I doubt the Ministry of Industry and
Trade's capability of carrying it out," Lee told The Post on
Sunday.

However, Lee admitted such a move could help reduce the influx
of illegally imported products and boost the quality of locally
made products.