Vice President: Indonesia Has Opportunity To Become The World's Leading Center For Halal Producers

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said that Indonesia has the strength and opportunity to become the world's leading halal producer center.

This was conveyed by the Vice President in his virtual speech at the 2022 Adinata Syariah Talkshow and Award, which was witnessed in Jakarta, Thursday.

"Given the prospects for Indonesia's economic growth in the midst of global conditions that need to be anticipated, in particular, I would like to highlight several strengths and opportunities to realize Indonesia's vision as a center for the world's leading halal producer," said Ma'ruf Amin as quoted by Antara, Thursday, April 14.

The vice president conveyed the first strength and opportunity, namely, the national sharia economic and financial sector has been proven to be able to support the Indonesian economy during the pandemic, even running inclusively through economic empowerment of all levels of society.

"Bank Indonesia stated that the share of the leading sector of the halal value chain can support more than 25 percent of the national economy. The agricultural sector is in the top rank with a contribution of 51 percent, followed by the halal food sector at around 27 percent, Muslim-friendly tourism at 16 percent, and Muslim fashion at around 6 percent. "explained the Vice President.

Second, the population and demand factors, as well as the halal lifestyle which is increasingly prevalent in Indonesia and even in the world, also opens up great opportunities for the growth of halal products.

According to Ma'ruf Amin, for Muslims themselves, consuming halal products is actually not only a matter of faith, but also related to aspects of product health and safety.

"The challenge that is no less important is ensuring the halalness of its products, through halal certification so that these products can be accepted, both in the domestic market and the global market, especially to Muslim countries," explained the Vice President.

Third, the strength of the Islamic finance sector must be able to synergize to develop the halal product industry sector, especially the support for the financing aspect.

For this reason, the Vice President emphasized that the Islamic finance sector must continue to follow the direction of the development of the halal product industry sector so that industry players have access to financing.

Apart from these three things, the Vice President said that Indonesia should be grateful for being ranked first in the Islamic Finance Country Index (IFCI) in the Global Islamic Finance Report 2021.

Based on data from The State of The Global Islamic Economy Report 2022, Indonesia ranks fourth in the world with the best Islamic economic development, even being the second best in the halal food sector, and third for the Muslim fashion sector.

The various leading halal sectors, according to him, must continue to be optimized to boost the domestic economy, as well as encourage Indonesia's achievements at the international level.