REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Uno stated that the target is for all micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia will have a halal certificate before 18 October 2024.

Sandiaga said that the Government will facilitate MSMEs in obtaining halal certification by working with relevant ministries, agencies and associations.

“If you are not mistaken, there is also a self-declared halal certification scheme (statement of business operators). Later we will encourage that the awareness is higher and everyone can comply with the halal certification requirements,” Sandiaga told reporters after the kickoff of Proud Makatu Indonesia (BBI) and Proud Berturas di Indonesia (BBWI) in Jakarta on Monday (26/2) evening.

When asked if the target was realistic and could be achieved according to plan, Sandiaga stressed the importance of starting the halal certification process as soon as possible.

“If we don't start now, we will continue to procrastinate. So, we have to have that confidence,” he said.

Compulsory halal certification is regulated in Law No. 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Guarantee as amended by Law No. 11 of 2020 on Creation of Work. It is also regulated in Government Regulation No. 39 of 2021 on the Organization of the Field of Halal Product Guarantee.

MSMEs including street vendors, he said, must have halal certificates on their products, no later than October 17, 2024.

There are three products that are required to be certified halal, namely: food and beverage products; raw materials, food additives; and produce products and slaughter services.

However, the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs (Kemenkop UKM) considers that the policy will make it difficult for MSMEs, so it hopes to delay the implementation of the rule.

“We expect its implementation to be delayed or the approach changed. So, do not complicate MSMEs,” said Deputy Minister for SMEs, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Hanung Harimba Rachman, in Jakarta, Friday (23/2).

Hanung said the target for all SMEs in Indonesia to have halal certificates before 18 October 2024 will be difficult to achieve. This is considering that on average only 200 MSME products get halal certification per year.

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