Lampung (BPJPH)--- The 17th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Working Group on Halal Products and Services (WGHAPAS) and The 3rd Strategic Halal Industry Collaboration Task Force (SHICTF) 2023 meeting has just closed. Becoming the host and successfully holding two trilateral agendas in Bandar Lampung on 2-5 July 2023, the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Body (BPJPH) of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia appreciates and supports a number of IMT-GT forum agreements in strengthening Halal Product Assurance (JPH). Mainly, with innovation and technology transfer through the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain technology to strengthen the halal product sector.

"We appreciate the results of the IMT-GT forum agreement, one of which is to make Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain technology an important focus in the synergy of developing halal products in the future, which will soon be followed up with specific discussions in the IMT-GT framework." said the Head of BPJPH Muhammad Aqil Irham, in Jakarta, Wednesday (5/7/2023).

"As the host and chairman of this forum, we also express our gratitude to all IMT-GT delegates who have attended and discussed strategic issues throughout the series of agendas." he continued.

Aqil also said that the IMT-GT forum also formulated a number of other synergistic commitment. Apart from exploring integrated blockchain system cooperation between the 3 countries, the forum agreed to strengthen member countries' halal policies relating to internal policies, programs, and regulations. Also, strengthening export and import data of halal products between 3 countries, as well as integrating and implementing joint halal standards between 3 countries.

The use of technologies such as AI and blockchain is now a necessity. Because a strong halal ecosystem is required to be adaptive and responsive to the dynamic development of the halal product industry with a very broad scope.

"For BPJPH itself, we have made the use of AI and blockchain technology as a pilot project to create a halal product assurance service that is reliable, accurate and able to provide convenience for all users. Both business actors and related stakeholders." said Aqil.

Aqil hopes that all the results of the discussions and forum agreements produced in those three days can be followed up immediately, as part of an important step to be able to play a big role in the global halal product ecosystem.

"We will continue to need innovative and implementable strategic ideas, to ensure that the halal product sector can continue to contribute to economic resilience through increasing competitiveness and trade connectivity which supports faster, more inclusive and sustainable economic growth." he said. []