Heaptalk, Jakarta — Ministry of Trade has issued halal certificates for 223 MSME actors. Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan symbolically handed over halal certificates to six MSME actors at the Directorate of Standardization and Quality Control Office in East Jakarta on Tuesday, May 28.
The issuance of halal certificates is a form of support from the Ministry of Trade for the trade of halal products, particularly for MSMEs. According to him, the development of MSMEs is key to the economic advancement of Indonesia.
“This morning, we symbolically handed over halal certificates to MSMEs because they are the main foundation supporting the Indonesian economy. According to records from the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs in 2023, the MSME sector contributed 61 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP) and absorbed almost 90 percent of the workforce. So, Indonesia can become a developed country if MSMEs progress,” said Zulkifli.
Developing local MSMEs to dominate market
He is optimistic that Indonesian MSMEs could counter the influx of imported products in the country. Furthermore, Indonesia could dominate the global market by developing its local MSMEs. For this reason, MSME products must be continuously supported to keep growing. He explained, “If we are unable to develop MSMEs, then our domestic consumption will be flooded with imported goods. By developing MSMEs, we can dominate domestic consumption. We can conquer the global market if MSMEs can produce excellent and high-quality products.”
Zulkifli further emphasized that the government is committed to advancing MSMEs. One way is by facilitating the halal certification of MSME products. This step aims to support the acceleration of halal certification, create competitiveness, and protect consumers. Previously, the government mandated that products entering, circulating, and trading in Indonesia must be halal-certified, including those offered by MSMEs. This is as regulated in Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance.
“This law should have been enforced by October 17, 2024, but it was extended until October 2026 through the Limited Cabinet Meeting of Indonesia Maju on May 15, 2024. With this law, the Government sincerely wants to advance MSMEs. Hopefully, by facilitating halal certification for MSMEs, we can accelerate the implementation of MSME halal certification,” he added.
Zulkifli concluded that Indonesia’s weapon to penetrate the global market is by fulfilling consumer rights, providing healthy and halal goods, and developing halal product innovations.
