Ma`ruf Hopes 100 Pct Indonesian Products with Halal Certification

Yogyakarta, MINA — Chairman of the Indonesian Sharia Economic Community Board, who is also a vice presidential candidate, Ma`ruf Amin has set a target that 100 percent of Indonesian products would be halal certified.

Ma`ruf made the remarks while closing the Jogja Halal Festival which was held at Jogja Expo Center (JEC), here on Sunday night.

He further said that after 2019, halal products will become mandatory.

Jogja Halal Festival which took place on October 11 to 14 at JEC, was joined by 217 stands consisting of culinary, fashion, institutions of bank and non-bank Islamic financial affairs, government, education, social, sharia hospitals, sharia hotels, sharia properties, and sharia travel.

On that occasion, Ma`ruf appreciated that the implementation of Jogja Halal Fest held by the Sharia Economic Community (MES) was considered effective in promoting the dissemination of halal products in Indonesia.

According to Ma`ruf, currently quantity of the halal-certified products in Indonesia are still low, ranging from 15 to 20 percent, thus to boost the halal certified products, after 2019 the halal certificates will become mandatory.

“Alhamdulillah (Thank God), Indonesia already has a Halal Product Law. Hence, halal which in Indonesia is still voluntary, then after 2019 the halal certificates are mandatory,” he revealed.

He further said that currently the halal system does not only exist in Indonesia but has become a global issue. Halal has become an arena and business area spreading in various parts of the world.

“As chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), I have inaugurated the Sincung Halal For Taiwan. I also visited South Korea because Korea has developed halal business, called Naminara Island (an island in South Korea that offers halal tourism),” he said.

Therefore, as a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia has a greater opportunity to develop and disseminate halal products compared to other countries.

However, the application of the halal system in Indonesia should be appreciated because the halal system is not just applied on food products, but has evolved with the emergence of halal fashion.

In addition, the Indonesian economy has also adopted a dual economy system, namely the Islamic economy and conventional economics, ranging from the financial system, banking, insurance, to the capital market, which also applies the sharia and conventional systems.

“These systems, even already have laws, such as the Sharia Banking Law, Sharia Securities Law, Sharia Insurance Law, and Sharia Capital Market,” Ma`ruf added. . (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).