Minister Of Religion Promises To Accelerate Indonesia's Halal Certification In Japan

Minister of Religion Yaqut Qoumas together with the Indonesian Ambassador to Japan Heri Akhmadi during a working visit in Tokyo, Tuesday (21/5/2024). (KBRI Tokyo)

Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas promised to accelerate the recognition of the halal product guarantee management organization initiated by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) Tokyo.

"We are accelerating the halal certification process in Japan through the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between Indonesia and related parties in Japan, so that halal products in Japan can circulate in Indonesia without having to go through a halal examination process by institutions in Indonesia, and vice versa," Yaqut said in Tokyo as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, May 21.

According to him, this certification will encourage economic growth and better diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Ambassador Heri Akhmadi appreciated the commitment that his party is working on in order to build an Indonesian Muslim ecosystem in Japan.

This effort was made to make it easier for Muslim citizens in Japan to get halal food, including encouraging the entrepreneurship of Indonesian citizens in Japan based on halal products. Considering that the Indonesian Ministry of Religion is an institution that fosters the development of halal institutions in Indonesia. The support of the Indonesian Ministry of Religion is highly expected," said Ambassador Heri.

He explained that an Indonesian community-based organization that will become a guarantee management agency for halal products in Japan is because halal issues are not regulated by the Japanese government.

"The organization will later become a provider of halal certificates submitted by halal product producers," he said.

Heri said that to build an organization that manages the guarantee of halal products, human resources that have the capacity and legitimacy are needed.

Related to this, training and competency tests will be carried out for 15 people representing several Indonesian citizen community groups in Japan.

The training is being coordinated by the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo in collaboration with Bank Indonesia Representative Tokyo and a number of other partners.

In addition to meeting with Ambassador Heri, the Indonesian Kemenangan delegation to Japan also had an audience with the NU At Takwa Koga Ibaraki Mosque congregation and the Nusantara Akihabara Mosque congregation.

The Indonesian Ministry of Religion delegation also gave a public lecture related to religious moderation at Tokyo Keio University.