President Jokowi: Indonesian Consumers Must Determine Consumption Choices

Minister of Trade Thomas Lembong on behalf of President Jokowi, accompanied by Minister of Social Affairs Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Minister of PPN/ Head Bappenas Sofyan Djalil, and Head of Creative Economy Agency Triawan Munaf during the commemoration of National Consumers Day

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo hopes that the people can transform and change their orientation from being entirely consumers to being consumers who are able to determine their consumption choices.

President Jokowi expressed his hope in his directives conveyed by Minister of Trade Thomas Lembong during the commemoration of the 2016 National Consumers Day (Harkonas), on Tuesday (26/4) morning at the Banteng Square, Jakarta.

The Minister explained that the understanding of the importance of consumer protection needs to be strengthened so that consumers are able to make right choices and decisions when consuming and using goods as well as to use services that are in line with the prevailing provisions.

The Minister added that Indonesian consumers must transform into smart consumers and realize that consumers should demand the transformation of the economy, and the consumption sector must transform as well.

“Indonesian consumers must be like those in Japan or South Korea. They must be active to demand quality from the products and services they use so that producers try to produce high quality products and services,” the Minister said, adding that with high-quality, the products can compete with products from other countries.

“This is the beginning of the competitiveness on productivity sector. It starts with domestic sector and consumers are entitled to demand the producers (for high quality products),” the Minister explained.

The Minister conveyed President Jokowi’s directive instructing consumers to play a bigger role and raise their awareness as consumers.

According to the Minister, Indonesia’s consumer awareness level is considered low  compared to awareness level of consumers from other countries, as indicated by the 2015 Consumer Empowerment Index (IKK) which shows that Indonesia’s consumer awareness level is still at 34.17 percent.

“We, as a nation, must be more productive and competitive,” Thomas stated.

The Minister also said that the efforts to raise awareness of consumer protection is aimed at shaping Indonesian consumers into intelligent and independent consumers and those who love domestic products.

“This effort (to raise awareness of consumer protection) is expected to encourage businesspeople to be more responsible in selling their products or services, be it for domestic products and imported products,” the Minister said.

For the record, Harkonas, which is celebrated on 20 April every year, this year adopts the theme “Smart, Independent Consumer Movement, by Loving Domestic Products”.

In the event, there was also a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in Smart Consumer Education between universities (Bogor Agricultural Univerity (IPB), Tarumanegara University, Singaperbangsa University) and religious mass organization (the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Muhammadiyah, Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI), Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), Parisada Hindu Dharma, Indonesian Buddhists Association, Indonesian Islamic Students Movement, and the Coordinating Body of Majelis Taklim Indonesia).

Also attending the event were Minister of Social Affairs Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Minister of PPN/Head of Bappenas Sofyan Djalil, and Head of Creative Economy Agency Triawan Munaf. (FID/ ES) (RAS/EP/YM/Naster)