YLKI protects consumers' interests
Text by Rita A. Widiadana and photos by Arief Suhardiman
Have you ever received candy in lieu of change? Or bought expired goods or medicines in a supermarket? Frustratingly, there is no one to complain to. Service providers have long taken advantage of the weak position of consumers in Indonesia. The independent Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) was set up in l973 with the single aim of protecting local consumers from negligent businesses. Gradually, consumers have become more aware of their rights and interests, forcing the government and businesses to heed their wants. In conjunction with YLKI's 23rd anniversary yesterday, The Jakarta Post interviewed its new chairwoman to learn about her strategies to protect local consumers.
JAKARTA (JP): Be yourself and they will accept your style, says Suhartini Hadad, popularly known as Tini Hadad.
The newly-elected chairwoman of Indonesia's most vocal consumer organization is not as flamboyant as her predecessors Permadi, Erna Witoelar and Zoemrotin, but has the same drive.
There isn't any indication that the soft-spoken, loving mother will change the Indonesian Consumers Foundation's aggressive programs. The new chairwoman has pledged to continue YLKI's commitment to struggle for the rights and interests of local consumers.
"I will fight in my own way and with the strong support from my dedicated staff. YLKI will still be on the same track," says Tini, who started her three-year leadership in January.
She says she has been criticized about her leadership style but never takes it personally.
"I was criticized by my own staff. They scolded me for being too soft when arguing with businesspeople and government officers," she admits, adding that the foundation's democratic system has worked well for two decades, Tini said.
"This is not a place where people can dream of making money. It is a matter of commitment to the things we believe in. YLKI offers nothing but a sense of pride and independence to its workers and volunteers," Tini explains.
Chance led Tini to join YLKI in l977.
"I just wanted to help Erna (Erna Witoelar) because I was still a mother of two young children."
After working for a year as a volunteer, she fell in love with the organization which, she says, offers a "very healthy" environment. She worked full-time between l978 and l980 as the foundation's education staff member. In l981, Tini had to leave the foundation to accompany her husband Ismid Hadad, a former 1966 campus activist and a journalist, to the United States. In l986, Tini returned to YLKI and became secretary during Erna's leadership. She was vice-chairwoman to Zoemrotin between l989 and l995.
"YLKI's staff consists of highly motivated individuals. During its early period, almost all the staff worked on a voluntary basis because we didn't have enough money to cover our activities, let alone pay the staff," she recalls.
Even now, she says, a fresh university graduate who joins the foundation receives between Rp 150,000 and Rp 200,000 (US$63.82 and $85.10) a month. They could earn between Rp 1 million and Rp 2 million a month at other firms.
It is no wonder that YLKI's headquarters in the Duren Tiga area of South Jakarta serves as both its office and a home to its unmarried staff members.
Complaints
Despite the lack of material incentives, YLKI's staff works hard to identify and solve consumer problems. The foundation receives and processes an average of 100 complaints a day.
Complaints from local consumers about the poor quality of goods and services have increased since the 1980s, as people have come to understand their rights and interests better, Tini says.
The majority of the grievances are about the poor quality of food products, household appliances and services, including electricity, telephone, transportation, hospital and banking.
YLKI also conducts research and surveys on issues related to the public's complaints. Its research has resulted in important discoveries, such as the use of formalin, the main substance for preserving dead bodies, in noodles, tofu and meatballs. It also found that various hazardous synthetic substances, such as methyl orange, rhodamine B and orange RN, that are usually applied to color textiles, are added to snacks and beverages aimed at young consumers.
YLKI's aggressive efforts to protect consumers have frequently landed it in court. Recently, a real estate company filed a libel suit against the foundation and demanded Rp 1.5 billion ($650,000) in restitution for allegedly damaging the company's reputation.
"We never back down from our fight against irresponsible businesses. They are cheating their consumers. There is no compromise with these people," warns Tini.
Both government and businesses consider YLKI their opposition rather than their partner.
"They still have a wrong perception towards our organization," Tini says. The foundation's objective is to create a strong network among the government, businesses and consumer advocacy groups to help protect consumers' rights.
The government, she says, has the power to write various consumer protection regulations but does not have the political will to implement them. Indonesian legislators seem to have little understanding of consumer issues, and they rarely voice the aspirations of consumers. A consumer protection bill was proposed 15 years ago, but it has not yet been processed.
"We are working hard to mobilize all parts of society to encourage the legislative body to issue a law to protect consumers," Tini says.
Strategies
Under Tini's leadership, YLKI has set up a number of strategies to strengthen the organization's internal and external affairs.
Improving its management system and raising more local donations is YLKI's first step in tidying up its internal affairs.
"We need more funds to finance our activities. If we have more funds we can do a lot more research and surveys and help local consumer advocacy groups work properly," Tini says.
YLKI's overheads reach Rp 200 million a year, and the foundation needs another Rp 600 million a year to finance its activities. It receives Rp 50 million from the government and another Rp 50 million from individual sponsors.
The rest comes from foreign agencies, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Ford Foundation and the Asia Foundation.
Another strategy is to build a strong network with related agencies, including government offices, business circles, universities, the mass media, and local and international consumer advocacy groups.
The foundation is a member of the Netherlands-based International Organization on Consumers Unions. It has close liaison with Consumer Interpol, the Consumer Educators Network, Health Action International, Action for Rational Drugs in Asia, and the Consumer Information and Documentation Center.
"If we have strong lobbying power we can work together to achieve our utmost dream of protecting consumers's interests," Tini concludes.