BPJPH Chief Unveils Halal Ecosystem Vision to Strengthen Global Competitiveness

The Head of the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH), Ahmad Haikal Hasan, has affirmed that strengthening Indonesia’s halal ecosystem is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s grand vision to make the country a primary mover of the global halal economy. He made the statement during his opening address at the D-8 Halal Expo Indonesia 2026 forum in Senayan. On the occasion, Haikal Hasan invited D-8 member countries to strengthen collaboration in building increasingly integrated and mutually recognised halal standards. According to him, halal cannot be built in isolation; it must rely on a spirit of joint collaboration, interconnectivity, and robust standards to deliver economic benefits and broader advantages for the global community. “One of my big dreams is when President Prabowo Subianto has an extraordinary vision regarding halal. He established the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH), which holds a ministry-level position and is connected to at least nine ministries. This is a tremendous strength,” Haikal said in a written statement on Wednesday. He further stated that the president’s vision is translated by BPJPH through the spirit of ‘Indonesian Halal for the Global Community’. According to him, Indonesia is not only striving to strengthen the implementation of Halal Product Assurance domestically but is also taking a strategic role in building a global halal ecosystem through international cooperation. “The vision is how halal can become a shared strength for the world. And we translate that vision through the slogan ‘Indonesian Halal for the Global Community’,” he said. Haikal added that halal is not a new concept in Indonesia. Since decades ago during the era of the second president, Soeharto, the government has paid attention to halal administration, which has continued to evolve until the birth of an increasingly strong and comprehensive Halal Product Assurance system. He also emphasised that the implementation of mandatory halal certification is a crucial momentum to strengthen the competitiveness of Indonesian products in the global market while increasing consumer trust in Indonesian halal products. At the forum, Haikal also invited participating countries to tighten collaboration and build a shared vision in developing international halal standards. He believes that synergy between countries will be an important foundation in realising a stronger, more inclusive, and mutually beneficial global halal ecosystem. “Halal must unite, halal must be interconnected, and halal must be built through a spirit of togetherness. With strong collaboration, we can deliver broader benefits for the global community,” he said. On the same occasion, Deputy Foreign Minister Anis Matta affirmed that the organisation of the D-8 HEI 2026 is a tangible manifestation of the government’s effort to integrate domestic economic strength with the Islamic world. “Amid various global economic challenges, Indonesia continues to drive national economic growth. One of the paths is by strengthening Indonesia’s economic integration with the Islamic world, including through the development of the halal economy,” said Anis Matta. Similar appreciation was also conveyed by the Secretary-General of the D-8, who assessed Indonesia’s initiative as an important catalyst for expanding investment and strengthening research within the global halal industry ecosystem. Over the next five days, the event will feature a trade exhibition, business matching, and D-8 HEI Talks panel discussions. Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the National Committee for Islamic Economy and Finance (KNEKS), Sholahudin Al Aiyub, explained that the forum is specifically designed to produce concrete business collaborations. “Indonesia seeks to facilitate the birth of business partnerships, knowledge exchange, and concrete trade transactions,” Aiyub said. On a macro level, the realisation of D-8 HEI 2026 is the embodiment of President Prabowo Subianto’s commitment at the 11th D-8 Summit in Cairo on 19 December 2024. At that time, President Prabowo Subianto stressed the urgency of establishing a halal value chain through strengthening economic networks, while affirming Indonesia’s commitment to becoming one of the world’s main centres for the halal economy. The series of events was made possible through the synergistic collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BPJPH, KNEKS, and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin). The D-8 was established in 1997 and currently consists of nine member countries: Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iran, Malaysia, Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, which joined in 2025. This economic synergy forum possesses massive collective strength, with a total population of 1.3 billion people (16 percent of the world’s population) and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reaching US$5.1 trillion.