Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia \u2013 The mandatory halal certification\nrequirement taking effect on 18 October 2026 is considered to have been\nimplemented unevenly. The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry\n(Kadin) says some businesses, particularly micro, small and medium-sized\nenterprises (MSMEs), importers and sellers of non-food goods, are still\nfacing various obstacles.<\/p>\n
Erwin Aksa, Kadin Indonesia\u2019s Deputy Chair for Organisation,\nCommunications and Regional Empowerment, said larger industries were\nrelatively better prepared because they already had quality-control\nsystems, raw-material traceability and certification experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cLarge industries, particularly in food and beverages, are generally\nrelatively better prepared because they already have quality-control\nsystems, raw-material traceability and certification experience,\u201d Erwin\ntold CNBC Indonesia on Friday (16 October 2026).<\/p>\n
By contrast, some MSMEs, importers and sellers of non-food goods are\nstill facing administrative, technical and cost-related challenges in\nmeeting the requirements.<\/p>\n
Kadin nevertheless said it did not yet have representative national\ndata to establish the overall readiness of businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, Kadin does not yet have sufficiently representative\nnational data to say that the readiness of all businesses has reached a\nparticular percentage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Erwin said the government, through the Halal Product Assurance Agency\n(BPJPH), should publish data on the numbers of businesses and products\nthat have been certified, are still being processed, or have not yet\napplied for certification.<\/p>\n
He said the data should be broken down by sector and business size so\nthat support and oversight policies could be properly targeted.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is more important is for the government, through BPJPH, to\npublish data on the numbers of businesses and products that have been\ncertified, are still being processed, or have not yet applied for\ncertification, broken down by sector and business size,\u201d Erwin said.<\/p>\n
In addition to businesses\u2019 readiness, Kadin highlighted the need for\ncertification services to have sufficient capacity to handle the large\nnumber of products and businesses subject to the requirements.<\/p>\n
Erwin said inspections, testing, assistance and the issuance of\ncertificates needed to proceed quickly so they would not become an\nobstacle for businesses.<\/p>\n
Other challenges include the cost of compliance and supply-chain\nreadiness. Halal certification covers not only finished products but\nalso raw materials, additives, production processes and supplier\ntraceability.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor industries that use imported raw materials or have complex\nsupply chains, these adjustments require additional time and costs,\u201d he\nexplained.<\/p>\n
Kadin called on the government to ensure that certification services\nwere sufficiently available, with processes that were fast, transparent\nand affordable, particularly for MSMEs.<\/p>\n
Erwin also stressed the importance of clear transition rules for\ncompanies that had applied for certification but were still waiting for\nadministrative processing to be completed.<\/p>\n
Coordination between BPJPH, technical ministries and customs\nauthorities also needs to be strengthened so that implementation of the\npolicy does not disrupt business activity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThird, ensure that coordination between BPJPH, technical ministries\nand customs authorities works well, so there are no obstacles to\nimporting raw materials, disruptions to distribution, or congestion at\nports caused by inconsistent procedures,\u201d Erwin said.<\/p>\n
For Kadin, the success of mandatory halal certification should not be\nmeasured solely by the number of certificates issued. The policy should\nalso build consumer confidence, strengthen industrial competitiveness\nand open up export-market access without jeopardising business\ncontinuity.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndonesia has a major opportunity to become a global halal industry\nhub. Halal certification should therefore be an instrument for\nincreasing added value and competitiveness, not merely an additional\nadministrative burden for businesses,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/halal-certification-deadline-is-today-how-businesses-are-responding-1792234220", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }