The Trade Ministry has issued new regulation requiring safety checks and labeling for electronic devices and goods containing hazardous chemicals, including rice cookers, rubber sandals and mattresses. The regulation, which will take effect on Aug. 14 2019, applies to local producers and importers.
"The ministry is requiring local producers and importers to register products that may affect safety, security and health as well as the environment before distributing them to the market," the ministry's  consumer protection and trade order director general, Veri Anggrijono, said in a statement recently.
Indonesia has health and safety rules on goods, such as the Indonesian National Standards (SNI), although it does not cover some of the 42 goods listed under the new ministerial regulation. The list of goods stipulated in Ministerial Regulation No. 18/2019 includes small home appliances, such as vacuum cleaners, electronic razors, rice cookers and juicers, as well as crayons, rubber footwear and mattresses, among other products.
Producers and importers must submit a self-declaration form to prove that they have conducted laboratory tests on their products using methods stipulated in the regulation to be eligible for registration. If the ministry approves, it will issue registration numbers, which producers and importers must then attach to their products. The ministry also requires re-registration of the products every five years.
The rules also apply to products already on the market. The ministry said it would give a year for the importers and producers to comply.
"The ministry will terminate the trading activities of producers and importers who violate the rules. We will withdraw their products from the market and revoke their registration numbers," Veri said.
 Electronic Producers Association chairman Ali Soebroto lauded the new regulation, saying that such rules were necessary because no prevailing regulation had covered the listed small appliances.
Because small appliances were mostly imported in completely built units, or produced locally on a small scale, he said, the Industry Ministry had not applied the standards on them. So far, the home appliances required to follow the standards include washing machines, air conditioners, electric irons and refrigerators.
"If we want to ensure consumer protection, then all goods should be safe. Appliances such as rice cookers and vacuum cleaners pose just as many risks as refrigerators, which have been standardized," he told The Jakarta Post.
"Self-assessment is a way to ensure these products are safe,” Ali added.
He said further that supervision should follow the implementation of the regulation, noting that the absence of strict sanctions would only cause unfair competition among the concerned parties and pose bigger risks to consumers. A source from the main secretariat of the Importers Association of Indonesia who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the regulation was important to ensure consumer protection. However, the source suggested that the ministry disseminate information on the new regulation to concerned producers, importers and associations before enacting the regulation.
Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) chairman Tulus Abadi highlighted that the new regulation could help reduce the negative impacts of electronic waste in Indonesia, noting that consumers should also start purchasing products responsibly. A 2015 report released by the United Nations University shows that Indonesia recorded the highest amount of electronic waste in Southeast Asia at 812 kilotons. (ars)
Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/04/07/ministry-tightens-rules-on-sandals-textiles-home-appliances-over-safety-concerns.html