OJK Issues New Regulation on Consumer Protection

In a bid to improve protection on consumers of financial services sector, the Government through the Financial Services Authority (OJK) Wednesday (05/18) issued OJK Regulation (POJK) Number 6/POJK.07/2022 on Consumer and Community Protection in Financial Services Sector.

The POJK regulates the implementation of consumer protection by the financial services industry from product planning, services provision to dispute resolution. In addition, this regulation also defines mandatory principles of the openness, transparency on products and services information as well as regulates the improvement of consumers’ data and information protection.

“This POJK will strengthen the regulation on consumer protection and the obligations of financial services business players in response to the dynamic changes in the financial services sector,” said Member of the OJK Board of Commissioners for Education and Consumer Protection Division Tirta.

Tirta continued that the strengthening of consumer and community protection in the financial services sector is needed to adjust to the rapid, dynamic development of innovation and technology in the financial services sector, adding that, it is also required for improvement measures of the implementation of consumer protection by financial services business players (PUJK).

“It is our hope that POJK Number 6/POJK.07/2022 can address the issues in financial services sector so that the sector can grow in sustainability and stability as well as protect consumer and community’s interest,” Tirta added.

For the record, the arrangement of this POJK has involved a number of stakeholders of financial services business players from various sectors including banking, capital market, non-bank financial industries, academics, legal experts, associations, the Alternative Agency for Dispute Resolution in the Financial Services Sector (LAPS SJK), and non-governmental organizations in order to obtain more insights for advises.

The improvement of substances to strengthen consumer and community protection regulated in the POJK Number 6/POJK.07/2022 is as follows:

1. Regulatory approach to the product/service life cycles that further optimize measures on consumer and community protection from products/services design until dispute handling and resolution;
2. Strengthening the principles of consumer and community protection and obligations for the PUJK to carry out “adequate education” so that it will improve consumer, community’s ability to decide products and services in the financial services sector;
3. Strengthening the implementation of principles on information openness and transparency through management of forms, procedures, exceptions on products and services information summary reports;
4. Strengthening the support for consumer and/or people with disabilities and elderly group as well as the improvement of consumers’ data and information protection;
5. The obligation to provide sufficient time for the consumer to understand the agreement before it is signed or provide lag phase after the signing of the agreement on product and service that is complex and or have a long period time;
6. The obligation to record if the offering of products and/or services is carried out through personal communication by voice and or video;
7. The affirmation of OJK’s authority in implementing consumer protection including market supervision as a form of implementation of Articles 28 to 30 of the OJK Law.
8. The obligation to form unit or function on consumer and community protection;
9. The obligation to independently deliver evaluation report by the PUJK to the OJK related to fulfillment of consumer protection provisions.

With the issuance of POJK Number 6/POJK.07/2022, POJK Number 1/POJK.07/2013 is revoked and declared ineffective. (PR of the OJK/UN) (AP/MUR)