New law on consumer protection

New law on consumer protection

From Media Indonesia

Finally, after a lone fight for 18 years, the Indonesian
Consumers Foundation (YLKI) can welcome an agreed draft law on
consumer protection that will be passed into a law. In any case,
the law is an umbrella that is desperately needed to protect
Indonesia's more than 200 million consumers.

YLKI would like to express its sincere gratitude to all sides
who have shown a political will to launch the law on consumer
protection.

However, YLKI would also like to make the following critical
notes on the law, both juridical aspects and the findings of
monitoring in the field.

1. YLKI appeals to the authorities to widely socialize the law as
soon as possible to the community, the media, legal institutions
like courts of justice and prosecutor offices, related technical
departments and all agencies bearing a direct or indirect impact
of the law. Especially the Ministry of Industry and Trade should
communicate with the judiciary; also with producers and traders
at local, national and multinational level.

2. YLKI requests the government to issue, as soon as possible,
regulations on implementation, especially the articles requiring
explanations. It fears that if this is not done speedily, the law
will become a toothless tiger, unfit for implementation.

3. YLKI hopes that the implementation of the law is accompanied
by the spirit of reform, especially in the field, to protect
consumers who have so far been suppressed systematically from the
political, legal, economic and cultural aspects.

4. YLKI is concerned that the implementation of the law will not
benefit consumers if it is not accompanied by consistent law
enforcement. If this happens, the hope of over 200 million
consumers who have been looking forward to such law will go up in
smoke.

Consumers should, therefore, join in the control (both
directly and indirectly) of the implementation of the law. The
government (related agencies) should socialize important issues
mentioned in the law, such as a small-claims court, class
actions, standard agreements, etc.

5. Producers should not be afraid of the new law. They should
respond positively to it because the spirit of the law only aims
at fair trade.

TINI HADAD

YLKI Chair

Jakarta