INTEGRATED TEAM TO PUBLICIZE UNQUALIFIED PRODUCTS

            In the effort to give maximum protection to consumers, the Directorate of Standardization and Consumers Protection (SPK), the Ministry of Trade together with the Board of Drug and Food Inspection (BPOM) had launch a raid in marketplaces and detected goods which were unqualified in terms of labeling, quality standard, mandatory labeling in the Indonesian language etc. By such measures, according to the Deputy Minister of Trade Bayu Krisnamurthi in Jakarta on Monday (12/12) it was expected tat consumers would be treat assured that the products they consumed were safe.

            Meanwhile Head of BPOM Kustantinah in that opportunity announced that since early this year, the illegal food in circulation today were unregistered imported food. From early year till now the total amount of food being confiscated by BPOM as detected by the Integrated Team for Control of Circulated Products (TPPB) were food products 1,133 items, packaging 82,886 packages, to total finding amounting to 1.7 billion. That was the reason why, according to Kustantinah, if consumers were more intelligent and stopped consuming uncertified products, the circulation would automatically end by itself.

            The total number of products detected by the TPPB Integrated Team, which consisted of representatives of related institutions like the Coordinating Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Health, BPOM, Director General of Tax, the Police, the Ministry of Industry, The Ministry of Agriculture and other related institutions were 102 products which were classified into six categories i.e. cosmetics, clothes, garments and footwear, toys and handicrafts, electronics and communication instruments; household appliances and automotive parts. Of that number 28 products were off-standard, 49 products were not using Bahasa Indonesian, 10 products unregistered (MD/ML-P-IRT,CD/CL) and 2 products without import license.

            The Director General of Standardization and Consumers Protection, Ministry of Trade Nus Nuzulia added that the measure was necessary to create a deterrent effect (the “never again” effect) to businesspeople who broke the rules and induce sense of responsibility to other market players. This measure was also meant to educate consumers that they might know what were the essential things required from a product in terms of safety, hygiene, security and environment (K3L) whereby not to disadvantage consumers.

            There would be follow up step to the raid, to impose sanctions according to the type of violation committed. The steps would be nurture, illumination, written notice, product recall, prohibition of distribution or enforcement of criminal law for consumers protection.