Becoming The World's Largest Halal Product Manufacturer, Minister Of Religion Yaqut Targets 10 Million Free Halal Certifications For MSEs

Screenshot - Religious Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) targets the issuance of 10 million free halal certifications for micro and small business actors (UMK) through the self-declaring scheme in 2022.

"In 2022 the Ministry of Religion through BPJPH plans to target 10 million free halal certifications for MSEs," said Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas during a working meeting with Commission VIII of the DPR RI which was attended from Jakarta, Antara, Monday, January 24.

Yaqut said the Ministry of Religion was currently coordinating with ministries and institutions, including local governments, in an effort to issue halal certification for business actors.

The large number of MSEs who have received certification, he said, will further strengthen the ecosystem chain of halal products in Indonesia. Moreover, Indonesia is pursuing as the largest producer of halal products in the world.

"To achieve this target, we are currently coordinating with several ministries/agencies and local governments facilitated by the Cabinet Secretariat through the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs," he said.

He explained that in order to smooth the plan, a number of things needed to be coordinated, such as budget support, planning design and budgeting by including the detailed classification of product certification outputs and details of MSE halal certification outputs at ministries/agencies and local governments.

In addition to system and budget support, he said, it is also necessary to provide an adequate number of companions for the halal product process (PPH). PPH assistants will verify and validate the halal statements of business actors in the field.

"Currently we are conducting training of trainers (ToT) for 200 people who will become trainers. Later these trainers will conduct training for PPH assistants in each Islamic Ormas, Islamic religious institutions with legal entities and universities with the target of PPH assistants until March as many as 100 thousand people," he said.