TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Cooperatives and SMEs Minister Teten Masduki has urged for a deferment of the halal certification policy scheduled to be enforced in October this year. He said he would discuss suggestions regarding halal certification with the Trade Ministry and the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) of the Religious Affairs Ministry.

“We estimate that the halal certification policy will not be feasible to implement by October 20, although we will continue to pursue it, ” Teten said at the SME Ministry’s building in South Jakarta on Monday, April 1.

Teten underscored that the halal certification policy is aimed at protecting the interests of Muslims, while also facilitating Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), given that the majority of MSME business players are engaged in the culinary sector.

“It will be regrettable if they have to face police questioning and similar issues [due to the absence of halal certification],” he added.

He therefore called for an expedited implementation of the halal certification policy. MSMEs falling within the "green lanes" classification will be able to self-declare their halal status. This implies that food products derived from halal-certified raw materials could be certified without undergoing prolonged procedures.

“By doing so, I believe we can meet it (the anticipated deadline),” Teten said.

Another alternative is to prolong the validity period of the halal certification. According to him, the deadline for the enforcement of halal certification should consider the capacity of the BPJPH as the issuer of the certificates.

Previously, the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs had aspired to postpone the policy mandating MSMEs to obtain a halal certificate before October 2024. Deputy SME Minister Hanung Harimba Rachman contended that the policy could impose significant burdens on MSMEs as many stakeholders are not yet prepared.

AISYAH AMIRA WAKANG

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