In accordance with the mandate of Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance, all products circulating in Indonesia must be halal certified starting October 2024. For this reason, the Ministry of Religion’s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Body (BPJPH) is carrying out a massive Mandatory Halal 2024 campaign.
The Halal Mandatory Campaign was carried out simultaneously on Saturday (18/3) in 1,116 points in 34 provinces throughout Indonesia. In this campaign, BPJPH will open halal certification registration and consulting services in shopping centers, malls, markets and other public places that are the concentration of business actors and the general public.
Head of BPJPH Muhammad Aqil Irham said that this program is the first stage of a campaign for food, beverage, slaughter products and slaughter services. This Halal Mandatory Campaign will be carried out until October 17, 2024.
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“It’s been three years since the government has carried out outreach, publication, education, and even facilitation to all producers and consumers. Because time is running out, there is only one and a half years left, so we are conducting a massive campaign so that this message can reach all people,” said Aqil at the opening ceremony of the Halal Mandatory Campaign at Kota Kasablanka Mall, South Jakarta, Saturday (18/3).
The simultaneous campaign carried out at more than 1,000 points even won a MURI record. Aqil said that such an activity had never happened in Indonesia or the world. Apart from these 1,000 points, BPJPH has also published ahead of Ramadan with comedian/influencer Abdel Achrian to create advertising content on television and radio and social media. “We also invite other influencers so that these messages can reach the whole community,” he said.
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Aqil explained, foreign products are also subject to the obligation of halal certification. He said that there were 44 countries with 107 foreign halal institutions that had submitted requests for cooperation with BPJPH.
“This cooperation is in the form of mutual recognition of certificates and logos, as well as mutual acceptance of products for entry and exit between countries, both exports and imports,” he explained.
Most of these countries are countries with Muslim minority populations. However, said Aqil, their attention to halal products is very strong.
“Because now halal is no longer synonymous with religion. Halal is also related to global standards, namely health standards, quality quality and no less important issues related to trade, business, branding image, values and culture of a company,” he explained.
The Head of BPJPH explained that halal certification is aimed at products that are subject to mandatory halal certificates. Because of this, there are also products that are exempt and are not required to have a halal certificate.
However, said Aqil, if a product or food contains non-halal ingredients, consumers must be informed that the product is non-halal.
BPJPH itself is targeting 10 million halal certificates to be issued by 2024. BPJPH has also opened a Free Halal Certification (Sehati) program for micro and small businesses (UMK). This year, the quota provided for the Sehati program has reached 1 million certificates.
In a speech delivered by the Head of BPJPH, the Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said that the obligation to be halal certified is the government’s commitment to provide comfort, security, safety and certainty of the availability of halal products for the community.
“Based on this, I made halal certification one of the priority programs of the Indonesian Ministry of Religion. Today (Saturday, 18/3) will be the start for Indonesia in order to make Indonesia a center for the world halal industry,” said the Minister of Religion.
The Halal Mandatory Campaign also received support from a number of stakeholders, including the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI). Chairman of APPBI Alphonzus Widjaja said that shopping centers must also support them because their strategic role is not just a place to shop.
“We have two customers, namely retailers or tenants, and consumers. We have to facilitate these two interests, we have to ensure that tenants can sell well and comply with existing rules, on the other hand consumers can shop safely and comfortably,” he said on the same occasion.
Support also came from the Association of Indonesian Retailers and Shopping Center Tenants (Hippindo). Chairman of Hippindo Budihardjo Iduansjah hopes that with this madatori the Indonesian F&B sector will be able to develop not only domestically, but also abroad.
“Indonesia has a very large market (for halal products). Hippindo was also appointed with the Ministry of Trade to bring local Indonesian brands to the global. And the biggest markets at the moment are Malaysia, Asean, and Middle Eastern countries,” he said. (Ifa/S-1)