Optimize The UMK Halal Certification Process, Sesmenko Susiwijono Calls There Needs To Be A Halal Product Guarantee Review

Photo: Doc. Coordinating Ministry for the Economy

JAKARTA - The government continues to optimize the halal certification process through a self-declare mechanism for micro and small business products (UMK). One of them is through a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) entitled "Preparing the Policy for Halal Sertification of UMK (Self Declare)."

The implementation of this discussion aims to accommodate input from various parties and stakeholders, including academics who have been actively involved in empowering UMK halal certification.

"There needs to be a review at several points related to Halal Product Guarantee (JPH), including the acceleration of the number of halal certified UMK, the acceleration of the time for the UMK halal certification process, institutional review of UMK halal certification, UMK halal financing, and the validity period of the UMK certificate," said Secretary of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy Susiwijono Moegiarso in a statement quoted by Antara, Thursday, November 10.

Meanwhile, Head of the Center for Halal Science Studies, IPB Khaswar Syamsu, said that more Halal Product Companies (PPH) and Halal Assistance Institutions (LPH) were needed to accelerate halal certification.

He said the role of PPH in the field was not only to verify and validate the self-declare UMK, but also to provide counseling, guidance, and assistance in the UMK halal certification process.

Meanwhile, the Head of the MUI for Fatwa Asrorun Ni'am Sholeh conveyed that consolidation between parties, both internal and cross-field, is needed, such as uniforming concepts in all human resources involved in halal certification, considering that the self-declare system is still relatively new and is in the adjustment stage.

For information, the government has established a JPH policy in Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation, which aims to expand public participation in the halal certification process through LPH, the Halal Product Process Assistance Institute, Halal Auditors, and Halal Investigators.