Mandatory Halal Certification Deadline Delayed as Government Seeks to Avoid Burdening MSMEs
JAKARTA — Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Minister Maman Abdurrahman said the government is seeking solutions to ensure that mandatory halal certification does not burden MSMEs. He said his ministry was discussing the issue with the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH), the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, MSME associations and business associations to formulate a policy that would not impose undue burdens on MSMEs.
“We agree that we need to implement this law, but the law must not end up becoming a burden for our MSMEs,” Maman said at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday (22 October 2026).
The government has officially extended the deadline for mandatory halal certification for certain products and services until October 2028, from the original date of 18 October 2026, taking into account the readiness of businesses and the national halal ecosystem.
Maman explained that mandatory halal certification is required under Law No. 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Assurance. However, many MSMEs are still unable to meet the requirement, partly because of the costs involved.
According to figures cited by Maman, halal certification covers around 4.43 million business entities, while approximately 16 million products have been certified.
He said these figures remain well short of the target, so the government needs to find a formula that can expand certification coverage without undermining the viability of MSME businesses.
“The fact is that today quite a few MSMEs are feeling a considerable burden from this halal certification requirement,” he said.
Maman said discussions on the policy formula were still at an early stage and that he could not yet provide details of the technical measures to be implemented.
The mandatory halal certification deadline for micro and small businesses (MSEs) covering food, beverages, slaughtered products and slaughtering services has been extended to 17 October 2028.
The government has also designated that date as the start of mandatory halal certification for imported food, beverages, slaughtered products and slaughtering services.