KSP Emphasizes The Importance Of Creating A Halal Ecosystem As President Jokowi's Aspiration

JAKARTA - Deputy III of the Presidential Staff Office, Panutan Sulendrakusuma, emphasized the importance of creating a halal ecosystem in order to realize Indonesia as a center for the halal industry by 2024, as President Joko Widodo's ideals.

"We can no longer work in a normal way, considering that the targets set for the empowerment of the halal industry, including the halal certification target, are quite challenging targets and may not be achieved if they are not prepared from now on," Panutan said, quoted by Antara, Friday 26 August.

This was conveyed by the role model at a coordination meeting with the Halal Product Guarantee Agency (BPJPH), the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), and representatives of halal mentoring institutions, in Jakarta, Friday, according to a press release received.

He conveyed, one aspect that needs to be encouraged to realize a halal ecosystem, namely the acceleration of the halal certification process for micro and small businesses (UMK), as mandated by the Job Creation Law and PP 39/2021 concerning the Implementation of the Halal Product Guarantee Sector.

He explained that halal certification for MSEs was carried out with the Self-Declare system (halal statement), and rolled out the Free Halal Certificate (Sehati) program.

The role model who is also in charge of the Monitoring and Evaluation Team of the KSP Job Creation Law said that by 2022 the government targets at least 25,000 MSEs to obtain halal certificates, which is carried out through the Sehati program.

"This target is the first step to meet the big target, namely halal certification for 10 million MSME actors," he explained.

To meet the target of 10 million halal certificates for MSME actors, Panutan said, the government has prepared a number of strategies, including increasing the quality and quantity of halal companions and supervisors.

In addition, it also increases the reliability of the application of the Halal Product Assurance Administration Agency (BPJPH) for the halal registration and certification process, and encourages halal training into the curriculum of Islamic universities.

"The government will also conduct systematic and massive education to business actors about the halal product process, including more effective approaches such as cultural approaches," he explained.

For information, according to Presidential Decree 10/2021 concerning the Task Force for the Acceleration of Socialization of the Job Creation Law, the Presidential Staff Office conducts monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the Job Creation Law and its derivative regulations, one of which is the halal certification program.

In its implementation, the Presidential Staff Office coordinates with relevant stakeholders, such as the Secretariat of the Vice President, the National Committee for Sharia Financial Economics, the Ministry of Industry, and BPJPH.