Encouraging Economic Growth, The Ministry Of Trade Improves Consumer Protection

JAKARTA - Director General of Consumer Protection and Trade Order at the Ministry of Trade, Veri Anggrijono, said that consumers have an important role to play so that the nation's economy can continue to improve. However, this increase must be balanced with the protection of consumer rights.

Moreover, said Veri, household consumption contributes very significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the household consumption component in August 2020 held a share of 57.85 percent of GDP.

"The population of 270 million is our consumers. If this moves massively, the economy will also move. Now Mr. President is participating in mobilizing UKM-UKM. The people who started this UKM are our agents of change," he said, at the Harkonas 2020 Media Gathering event entitled 'Consumer Protection Towards Advanced Indonesia', in Jakarta, Monday, November 2.

Veri said the momentum of commemorating National Consumer Day should be utilized by increasing awareness of the meaning of massive consumer protection. In addition, it also places consumers as the determining subject of economic activity.

The Ministry of Trade, said Veri, during the COVID-19 pandemic, continued to strengthen the implementation of its role in consumer protection in terms of monitoring trade activities and circulating goods and / or services. Not only that, online education and public service advertisements and consumer complaints were also carried out.

"Changes in trading behavior patterns that utilize electronic systems need to be supported by the protection of consumer rights, so that consumers always believe that transactions are safe," he said.

In trading via electronic systems, according to Veri, there are risks that may occur and can harm consumers. Therefore, it is not sufficient only to protect consumers by the government, but also to increase consumer empowerment.

Increasing consumer understanding of rights is an important key to creating an environment for trade transactions through a secure electronic system. Therefore, said Veri, currently the government continues to strive to improve the implementation of Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection in resolving various consumer problems that arise.

Furthermore, Veri said, in 2019 the Indonesian Consumer Empowerment Index was 41.70 or just at the capable level.

"Our consumer empowerment index is only at the capable level. At this level, it means that consumers have recognized their rights, but have not been too active in fighting for their rights as consumers," he said.

In fact, said Veri, the Consumer Protection Law has regulated the rights of the community as consumers. Where the community has the right to protest against business actors if their rights are not fulfilled. The Ministry of Trade hopes that consumers will know more about their rights and obligations.

Meanwhile, Chairman of BPKN Rizal E Halim stated that according to the Consumer Protection Law, BPKN carries out its function by providing advice and considerations to the government in an effort to develop consumer protection in Indonesia.

Rizal explained that the implementation of this function by BPKN was carried out by providing a forum for following up on consumer complaints as a basis for providing recommendations to the government to be followed up.

"The increase in electronic transactions during the Covid-19 pandemic increases the risk of loss for consumers. For that, it is necessary to increase consumer awareness in defending their rights through complaint channels or consumer dispute resolution established by the respective government agencies such as the Ministry of Trade," he said.

For your information, in 2020 there were 299 trade complaints via electronic systems, with the main problem being complained of being related to losses in transactions in e-commerce, and the main problem is the majority of phishing and account abuse via OTP.