Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Industry Ministry has targeted to support halal certification for 1,250 small industries by 2024 as an effort to increase their competitiveness in domestic and international markets and also support inclusive national economic growth.

"In 2024, the ministry's Halal Industry Empowerment Center (PPIH) will provide halal certification facilities to 1,250 small industries," the ministry's Acting Secretary General, Putu Juli Ardika, noted in a statement from his office on Wednesday (February 7).

Ardika stated that in the last three years, the PPIH has supported halal certification for 3,095 small industries by using both regular and self-declaration schemes.

In this year, the ministry plans to provide halal certification facilities to small industry players, including applying for halal certificates and providing halal supervisor training for prospective small industries receiving the facilities, he revealed.

Ardika expressed hope that halal supervisor training would help small industries to become halal human resources that will oversee the implementation of the Halal Product Guarantee System (SJPH) in industrial companies.

"Halal certification is not the end goal for industrial companies. It should be the beginning of a process to implement SPJPH," he emphasized.

At the end of 2023, the release of the State of the Global Islamic Report showed Indonesia's position in the third place for halal economic development, up one ranking as compared to the previous year, he stated.

Meanwhile, in the domestic market, Indonesian Muslims recorded an expenditure of US$184 billion in 2020. This figure is projected to increase by 14.96 percent in 2024, or US$281.6 billion.

"This makes Indonesia the largest halal consumer market in the world, with a share of 11.34 percent of the total global halal expenditure," Ardika explained.

In addition, halal certification for all food products, beverages, slaughter products, and slaughter services will be implemented across the country, in accordance with the stages of halal obligations stated in Government Regulation Number 39 of 2021.

"Therefore, the ministry will continue to encourage the facilitation of halal certification for small industries," he remarked.

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