IO – Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has pinpointed the two massive tasks in 2024: mandatory halal certification for all food and beverage (F&B) products and Indonesia’s vision to be the center of the halal product industry worldwide.
“I expect all stakeholders can continue to improve the synergy. If all make their best contribution and play their role, we will be able to realize the aspiration to advance halal industry in Indonesia,” said Ma’ruf at the 33rd anniversary of the Assessment Institute for Foods, Drugs and Cosmetics, the Indonesian Council of Ulama (AIDC-ICU/LPPOM-MUI), Tuesday (1/25/2022).
Ma’ruf hopes that LPPOM-MUI, the pioneer of halal inspection agency in the country, can help realize the two goals by accelerating halal certification process, particularly for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the F&B sector.
The Vice President urges the halal certification for MSMEs to be simplified. To penetrate the global halal market, Indonesian MSMEs that are estimated to exceed 64 million need halal certifications on their products.
Halal certification is pivotal to assure consumers that the products they purchase are of good quality and produced according to the Islamic Shariah Law. The halal label also adds a competitive value to the products.
“These days, public awareness about halal product consumption has been increasing. In fact, it has become part of the lifestyle,” explained Ma’ruf.
Support and empowerment on the halal industry ecosystem, particularly to improve the capacity and quality of the halal products, are crucial to give extra value to Indonesia’s economy, said Ma’ruf.
The Vice President expressed his appreciation for LPPOM-MUI for accelerating the halal certification process amid the pandemic, through the Modified On-Site Audit (MOSA) system. “It’s an online halal certification service, especially for products that are simple in nature and do not pose high halal risks,” said Ma’ruf. (eka)