Banning Selling Of Bundling Cooking Oil, Surakarta Police Remind Traders To Threat Of Imprisonment And Fines Of IDR 2 Billion

Surakarta Police Chief Kombes Ade Safri Simanjuntak (right) during an inspection of the availability of cooking oil (Photo Via ANTARA)

SURAKARTA - The Food Task Force of the Surakarta City Police has prohibited traders from selling cooking oil using a bundling system, or combining two different products in one promotional package.

Surakarta Police Chief Kombes Ade Safri Simanjuntak said the system was an act of coercion against consumers and violated the law.

"Selling cooking oil by bundling is an act of coercion against consumers, where the public or buyers are not given a choice," he said in Solo, Antara, Monday, March 28.

The bundling system requires consumers to buy other products to get cooking oil. Other prohibited practices such as minimum spending of a certain amount to get cooking oil.

The police chief appealed to traders not to take advantage of the situation and make consumers unable to choose or take coercive action.

"So if a trader applies a bundling system, but does not give consumers a choice, it is the same as forcing. The perpetrator can be fined a maximum of Rp. 2 billion and a maximum imprisonment of five years as regulated in Article 15 of Law No. 8 of 1999, concerning Consumer Protection," he said. Police Chief.

In the article, said the Head of Police, business actors in offering goods and or services are prohibited from using coercion or other means that can cause physical and psychological disturbances to consumers.

Meanwhile, Article 62 paragraph 1 explains that business actors who violate the provisions as referred to in Article 8, Article 9, Article 10, Article 13 paragraph 2, Article 15, Article 17 paragraph 1 letters a, b, c, e and paragraph 2, and Article 18 shall be sentenced to a maximum imprisonment of five years or a maximum fine of Rp. 2 billion.

The police chief also explained that the bundling system does not violate the rules, namely if the shop owner or trader provides unit cooking oil. That way, consumers can freely choose, do not give consumers a choice, that's called coercion.

The Head of Police explained that the Food Task Force of the Surakarta Police, together with the Trade Service, and the local Bulog some time ago checked the distribution of cooking oil in Solo, still finding sales using the bundling system.

However, his party together with the food task force have reminded distributors both verbally and in writing, so that they no longer run the "bundling" system that does not provide other options for consumers, because this is clearly detrimental to consumers.

"We take an educational and coaching approach that puts the emphasis on bringing order to the traders who apply the 'bundling' system without giving these consumers a choice. The distributors are no longer selling cooking oil with that system," said the Police Chief.

However, the Surakarta Police will take firm action in accordance with applicable law if it continues to repeat itself and continues to sell the "bundling" system. Law enforcement as a last resort to order this, in order to protect consumers.

"We are monitoring results in the field, for the availability of bulk cooking oil in Solo City in an available and safe condition. We ask distributors- wholesalers-retailers to comply with the applicable distribution chain, there are no deviations. We also ask to comply with the provisions of the Retail Price The highest (HET) of bulk cooking oil is set by the government," he said.