BPKH Encourages Acceleration Of Halal Certification Ecosystems

JAKARTA - The Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH) encourages the acceleration of the halal certification ecosystem which is currently being echoed and accelerated by the government through the Ministry of Religion, in order to realize Indonesia as the center of the world's halal industry in 2024.

"Supporting the government's program to accelerate halal product certification, strengthen the supply of halal value chains in an integrated manner, and encourage the formation of a halal ecosystem towards Indonesia as the center of the world's halal industry," said BPKH Indra Gunawan in a statement received in Jakarta, Sunday.

Indra's statement was conveyed in a dialogue forum with the Islamic Economic Community (MES) and stakeholders of halal product policies in the Bahrul Maghfiroh Islamic Boarding School Hall, Malang, East Java.

Indra said Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. Based on The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center (RISSC) 2023, it reported that the Muslim population in Indonesia reached 237.55 million.

The large number of Muslim populations in Indonesia, he said, is a great force in making it the largest center of the halal industry in the world. To achieve this goal, a guarantee is needed for the halalness of a product, one of which is through halal certification.

"The issuance of Law No. 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Guarantee (JPH) is an effort to increase the production capacity of the halal industry in Indonesia, namely the mandatory halal certification of every product sold," he said.

In addition to guaranteeing a sense of security for consumers, because the products consumed are free from haram elements, certification can also be proof of the legality that products are produced in a good way.

According to him, based on the results of a survey on the influence of halal certification on the business world carried out by Bank Indonesia in 2022, it shows that most respondents stated that they had benefited from the ownership of halal certificates, including ease in product marketing, increased turnover of halal certified products, and expanding domestic markets.

"Acceleration and collaboration are the keys to expanding benefits and realizing Indonesia as the center of the world's halal industry," he said.