Consumer protection
can be defined as laws, authorities, or even organizations whose purpose is to
protect and fight for the consumers’ rights. In this case, the law aims to
ensure that in the marketplace, especially in a free market economy system,
consumers can fulfill their rights such as to get accurate information and fair
trade when they are buying goods or using services from the traders.
As
a developed country that applies the system of free market economy, Indonesia
takes consumer protection into account when creating the law to protect
consumers’ rights. Regarding this, the following are five essential points that
you need to know about consumer protection in Indonesia.
1. The basic principles of consumer
protection
In addition to the Constitution of 1945 which serves as the
ground rule and the highest national constitution in Indonesia, the matter of
consumers’ rights protection is based on the Law number 8 of 1999 about
Consumer Protection. The law focuses on the protection of end consumers when
they involve in products and services trades. While being supported by the
local governments as well as authorized institutions, the law empowers
consumers’ opinion to participate actively in claiming their rights in fair
trade.
2. The country’s consumer
organization
The main authorized organization that takes action to protect
consumers’ rights in Indonesia is the Indonesian Consumers Protection
Foundation (Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen
Indonesia or abbreviated as YLKI). It is the first and the largest
institution in the country that deals with consumer right and protection.
YLKI
is responsible for some organizational activities which include providing data
and information about consumers’ rights through public education as well as
conducting research to update the information regularly. The organization is
also a place for consumers to voice their complaints when they encounter an
unfair trade.
3. Consumer rights that are protected
by the law
According to the law, the consumers have several rights when
they involve in a trade. The most important right of the consumers is to
receive safety and security when they are purchasing or consuming the products
and services. Additionally, they have rights to be informed about the condition
facts and warranty of the goods and services in a clear and correct way. Above
all, in every trade, the consumers should be treated equally without any
discrimination.
4. The law’s policies approach to
protect consumer rights
The consumer protection law adopts three policy approaches
when dealing with consumers’ rights. Those approaches are regulation and
guidance approach, social enforcement approach, and law enforcement approach.
The first approach has a responsibility to create the norms, guidance, and some
regulations in which the law is implemented. In the second approach, the law
develops a communicative strategy to educate public about consumers’ right
protection. Meanwhile, the third one, law enforcement approach, basically deals
with the assistance and improvement of consumers’ services.
With
the importance of fair trade, consumer
protection is needed for the convenience of both traders and especially,
the buyers. Therefore, the law, the authorized institution, and related
elements which entangle between those two elements will continuously fight for
consumer protection in Indonesia.
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