Jakarta ( WNAM MONITORING): Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya has underscored that halal certification can become a gateway for Indonesian products to enter global markets, especially Muslim-majority countries.
“Halal certificates should not be regarded as a burden,” he said at the Indonesia Go Global event in Jakarta on Wednesday.
There are many examples of local halal-certified products successfully penetrating global markets, he added.
The minister highlighted that halal certification must be used as an opportunity for local food products to enter global markets and compete with products from other countries.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary of the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) Aqil Irham said Indonesia still has vast opportunities to penetrate the markets of Muslim-majority countries, especially with its food products.
Irham informed that currently, Indonesia is ranked eighth in terms of halal product exports to the 56 member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
It ranks below France, Russia, India, and China—the top four halal product exporters.
“The spending of the world’s Muslim consumers reaches USD3 trillion, and Indonesia has only got a portion of USD13.38 billion,” he said.
He expressed the hope that the Ministry of Creative Economy will support efforts to advance micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and creative industry players so that they can penetrate global markets.
