BPJPH praises North Sumatra Governor for advancing halal industry in MSME sector
The Head of the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH), Haikal Hassan, has praised North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution for advancing the halal industry, particularly for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the province.
Speaking at the North Sumatra Halal Fest 2026, the man affectionately known as Babe Haikal said the Governor’s policy of increasing free halal certification incentives for MSMEs aligns with the vision of President Prabowo Subianto, who sees opportunities in the domestic halal industry.
“I greatly appreciate what Mas Bobby has conveyed. This is thanks to the brilliance of President Prabowo Subianto, because there is indeed a reason for it,” Haikal said in a statement received in Medan on Thursday.
According to him, the halal industry today is no longer solely about religious belief, but has become an identity of quality products.
“The halal industry is already underway; the world is already doing it. So many global brands are entering Indonesia,” he said.
Haikal said BPJPH also appreciates the North Sumatra Provincial Government’s move to help 1,000 MSMEs obtain free halal certification in 2026.
“Mas Bobby is an accomplished Governor. He has done many things, even since his time as Mayor of Medan. He wants to help thousands of MSMEs obtain halal certification. This is extraordinary,” Haikal said.
Data from the North Sumatra Provincial Office of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises for 2025 shows that North Sumatra has around 1.4 million MSME units, 98.9 percent of which are micro and small enterprises.
“In North Sumatra, the number of halal-certified entrepreneurs is 47,434, but the total number of entrepreneurs in Indonesia is 54 million. That means less than one percent. Come on — so 5,000 are going to be facilitated. Alhamdulillah, we must appreciate Mas Bobby,” Haikal said.
North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution said he is pushing to increase free halal certification incentives for MSMEs from 1,000 to 5,000 in 2027.
He said the move is considered important to accelerate the strengthening of the halal ecosystem while improving the competitiveness of North Sumatra’s local products in the global market.
“This year, 1,000 halal certifications are being provided to MSMEs. It can be called large, yes, it is fairly substantial. If it is called small, it is certainly small,” he said while attending the opening of the North Sumatra Halal Fest 2026 in Medan on Wednesday (26/8).
He noted that of the 1.4 million MSME units recorded in North Sumatra in 2025, only around 100,000 MSMEs currently hold halal certification.
“There is still homework of around 1.3 million more that must be halal-certified. Therefore, I am asking for an increase to at least 5,000 MSMEs receiving free halal incentives per year starting next year,” Bobby said.