Amy Heppy, Jakarta – The Indonesian Retailers Association (Aprindo) commented on the recent demand for a boycott of products linked to Israel in the wake of the Israeli attacks on Palestine. Aprindo's chair Roy Nicholas Mandey said that people have the right to choose what goods to buy according to their needs.
"Choosing what to buy and consume is a consumer's right, a community's right, and it must be protected," Roy said during a press conference on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
According to him, calls for boycotts of products suspected of being linked to Israel could force people to look for substitutes, even if they are not suitable.
On this basis, Roy asserted that the government must take immediate action regarding this boycott issue, highlighting the contribution of public consumption to domestic economic growth.
"The government must be present in reading the situation and conditions. This means that the government's adaptive steps are necessary," he said.
Moreover, a prolonged boycott would have a negative impact on Indonesia's business climate, both in the upstream and downstream sectors.
Aprindo projected that retail sales would decline by up to 50 percent if the boycott resulted in a lengthy reduction in consumption. In addition, producers will also be affected by the decline in market demand.
"If the supplier drops, investment can fail, and growth cannot occur, leading to a reduction in workforce or layoffs," Roy emphasized.