OJK: There Are 411 Complaints Related To Debt Collector Until June 2024

JAKARTA - The Financial Services Authority (OJK) noted that from January to June this year there were 411 complaints indicating violations of consumer protection provisions, especially related to the behavior of collection officers or debt collectors.

Chief Executive of OJK's Behavior Supervisory for Financial Services, Education and Consumer Protection (PEPK) Friderica Widyasari Dewi said the indications of violations occurred in the banking industry, financing companies, and financial technology (fintech).

"The most frequent violations of the behavior of billing officers include the use of harsh words and billing with threatening sentences," Friderica said in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, July 10.

Furthermore, Friderica said that the OJK always enforces discipline on violations of the provisions committed by financial service business actors (PUJK) including the behavior of collection officers representing PUJK in carrying out their duties.

Some time ago, said Friderica, OJK had conducted an examination of PUJK in the banking sector and finance companies for the behavior of this collection and had imposed administrative sanctions for violations found.

"From the results of the OJK examination, although this collection is based on consumer default, it does not mean that collection actions can be carried out regardless of consumer interests," he said.

Some of the findings of violations found by the OJK include collection officers who do not have an official license but have collected them.

In addition, note the OJK, how to dress billing officers who tend to be unofficial, collect outside the time stipulated by the provisions or more than 20.00 local time, and collection attitudes that tend to be aggressive and accompanied by threats.

"This has caught the attention of the OJK. And the OJK has taken firm action against PUJK who use debt collectors both internally and externally," said Friderica.

With the imposition of sanctions, OJK hopes that this will become a concern for PUJK to always comply with the provisions, especially the OJK Regulation (POJK) No. 22 of 2023.

In this provision, it has been specifically regulated regarding billing behavior and for consumers and the public who feel that they are billed by debt collectors with behavior that does not comply with the provisions.

"We hope that consumers and / or the public will not hesitate to report to the OJK through the complaint channel provided by the OJK," said Friderica.