USU PR - The Faculty of Law (FH) of the Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Director General of Consumer Protection and Trade Order (PKTN) of the Indonesian Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) regarding consumer protection policies, Monday (12/6/2021).

Director General of PKTN Veri Anggrijono said the North Sumatran consumer empowerment index was above the national average consumer empowerment index. This shows that consumers in North Sumatra are already at a level capable of protecting and demanding their rights as Indonesian consumers.

"With this cooperation contract, students and lecturers, as well as the entire USU Faculty of Law academic community, are at the forefront of implementing this policy, especially in North Sumatra," said the Director General of PKTN.

According to Veri, in order to increase consumer empowerment, there needs to be synergy between stakeholders and various related stakeholders.

"The role of the government is of course not enough, for that it is necessary to collaborate with all other relevant stakeholders, one of which is the campus world which has an active role," he said.

Veri hopes that academics and students can become an extension of the government in implementing consumer protection. This is because students are at the forefront of disseminating information about smart and empowered consumers. According to him, students can educate through social media or go directly to the community.

"So it is hoped that with this collaboration the consumer empowerment index in North Sumatra can be further increased, forming smart and empowered North Sumatran consumers," said Veri.

On the same occasion, the Dean of USU's Faculty of Law, Dr. Mahmul Siregar, S.H., M.Hum said, the main product in this collaboration remains how the campus helps the government to be able to form smart, empowered consumers and love domestic products.

“How consumers love what they make in their country, this trust that we will return. We make our consumers feel that their rights are protected, so they believe in their own products,” the Dean of the Faculty of Law said.

Not only that, Dr. Mahmul added that this collaboration with the Ministry of Trade would be developed for the Tridharma activities of higher education.

"Not just for consumer protection issues in general, but we also direct this cooperation in Tridharma activities, such as research or in the implementation of MBKM," he continued.

Dr. Mahmul said that after the signing, other forms of cooperation would be formulated, such as research, service, counseling and advocacy. (©ULC)

Author: Bambang Riyanto - Humas

Interviewee: - - -

Photographer: Irsan Mulyadi - Humas