Jakarta (BPJPH) --- The Indonesia government today held national coordination through a webinar with the theme Halal Certification Acceleration for MSE Empowerment in the Regions. The webinar involved the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Body (BPJPH) of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, and the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).

The meeting was virtually attended by the delegates from both provincial and district/city governments, consisting of the Regional Secretary, the Head of Bappeda, the Head of the Regional Financial Management Agency, the Head of the Industry and Trade Service, the Head of the Cooperative and MSME Office, the Head of the Provincial Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office, the Head of the Tourism Office , as well as other related SKPD.

"This meeting is important, considering that halal certification is mandated by law and is one of the government's priority programs whose implementation involves many stakeholders. Therefore, synergy is needed from all parties to make it happen, including the regional government." said BPJPH Head Muhammad Aqil Irham at the Ministry of Home Affairs Building, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (27/6/2023).

Furthermore, Aqil said that BPJPH continues to strengthen synergies to accelerate halal certification together with relevant stakeholders. Efforts were made in the form of outreach, publication, promotion, education, and facilitation of halal certification.

"Of course we have to start this collaborative and accelerative effort with the same perception, especially in terms of financing the facilitation of halal certification in the regions, planned and implemented with strategic steps simultaneously throughout Indonesia." said Aqil.

Concretely, he continued, to carry out this facilitation, it is necessary to have a nomenclature for budgeting for facilitation of halal certification at both the provincial and district/city governments in the guidelines for preparing regional finances. Thus, the budgeting for the facilitation of halal certification becomes clear and the regions also have no hesitation in planning the budget.  Previously, Secretary General of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Suhajar Diantoro said that coordination with all regional governments was important in the framework of joint steps and efforts to support the halal certification program. In accordance with Presidential Decree Number 18 of 2020 concerning the National Medium Term Development Plan, the development of the halal industry is one of the government's policy directions. Likewise with the existence of an Indonesian halal product industry master plan for 2022-2029 as the basis for the development of the Indonesian halal industry.

"In order to realize this program, it is necessary to strengthen the halal product industry. To achieve this target, local governments are asked to facilitate halal certification with APBD funding in each province and district/city." Suhajar said.

"This is in line with the direction of the President who targets that Indonesia must become the center of world halal producers by 2024." he continued.

The program to facilitate halal certification by all regions, continued Suhajar, is also intended to encourage and synergize efforts to improve the quality of spending aimed at improving public services and growing investment in the regions, as well as in the context of accelerating the use of domestic products in line with efforts to make the "Gerakan Bangga Buatan Indonesia" or the movement of being proud of the Made by Indonesia'.

Accordingly, Acting Director General of Regional Budget Financial Development Horas M Panjaitan said that facilitation of halal certification for MSMEs can be provided in the form of budget support in the 2023 APBD for Cooperative Affairs, Small and Medium Enterprises (UKM) and budget support in the 2023 APBD for Industrial Affairs for the Fiscal Year 2023.

"For the guidelines for preparing the APBD for the 2024 Fiscal Year, it has been regulated so that the Regional Government budgets for the need for halal certification for MSMEs." Horas said.

In line with it, Deputy for Micro Business of the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs Yulius said that so far, the acceleration of halal certification for MSMEs has not been optimal because it has not been conveyed, especially in the regions. Therefore, budgeting guidelines are needed that can be used as a reference for all regional governments so that they will no longer hesitate to budget for the facilitation of halal certification for MSMEs.

"The existence of regulations from the Ministry of Home Affairs to encourage regions to carry out facilitation of halal certification is important. Because this is not our job (the Central Government). But this is the job (instruction) of the President. So we all have to support this program." said Julius emphasized.

Deputy for Economics of Bappenas Amalia Adininggar said that one of the efforts to increase the halal industry in the 2020-2024 RPJMN was carried out through coordination and synchronization of policies among relevant stakeholders. Also, by strengthening the implementation of Halal Product Assurance.

"In order to encourage the acceleration of halal certification, on August 13rd 2020 a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed by 10 Ministries and Institutions' Leaders. One of them is the Ministry of Home Affairs." Amalia explained.

"In this case, it is hoped that the Ministry of Home Affairs can encourage local governments to help with halal certification via the APBD, especially for MSMEs in their respective regions," added Amalia.

The meeting was also attended by BPJPH EA Secretary Chuzaemi Abidin, Acting Director of Regional Budget Planning Muh Valiandra, Head of the BPJPH Halal Registration and Certification Center Siti Aminah, the Head of the Center for Halal Cooperation and Standardization Abd Syakur, as well as officials within the Ministry of Home Affairs, the BPJPH of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises , and the Bappenas. []