Unscrupulous flour importers to be punished

Unscrupulous flour importers to be punished

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Ministry of Trade and Industry said that some 11 brands of
imported wheat flour products from Australia, India, China and
Malaysia sold at local markets did not meet government-set
nutritional requirements.

Budi Darmadi said on Tuesday that the ministry had set up a
special team to further investigate the products.

"The directorate general of domestic trade affairs will decide
whether to revoke the business license (of the importer) or
withdraw the products from the market after receiving a report
from the team," he said.

"Some 11 brands did not meet our minimum nutritional
requirements, such as vitamin B content," he said.

The ministry has recently launched an investigation into
imported wheat flour products following complaints from consumers
and industry associations by taking samples from traditional
markets in Jakarta, Makassar, Semarang, Medan, Surabaya and
Pontianak.

The ministry's move is part of efforts to protect consumers
against unscrupulous traders and producers, as stipulated under
Law No. 8/1999 on consumer protection.

According to Article 8 of the consumer protection law,
producers and traders are banned from producing or marketing
products or services that do not meet the standards set by the
government.

Producers and traders also are forbidden from deceiving
consumers by falsifying the quality of their products.

Ministry of Trade and Industry Rini M. Soewandi has also
issued a ministerial decree on the supervision of products sold
in local markets.

According to the decree, producers and traders who sell
products in the local market must meet the government's
regulations with regard to labeling, marketing, advertising and
after-sales service.

On labels, for example, the company must print the identity of
importers and producers.

Budi also said that the ministry was also investigating 12
other wheat flour products that had not received certification of
approval from the National Standardization Agency.

The imported products also did not meet the labeling
requirement as they did not show the identity of importers and
producers.

The Indonesian Wheat and Flour Producers Association (Aptindo)
has also accused wheat flour producers from Australia, Europe,
and the United Arab Emirates of dumping their products here.

The association has urged the government to impose antidumping
duties.

Local flour producers include PT Bogasari Flour Mills, PT
Sriboga Raya, PT Pangan Mas and PT Berdikari.