The first phase-in period for halal certificate obligations will end on October 17.
"We will send a circular to all Parekraf offices, asking them to comply with the rules in this first stage," Uno remarked on Thursday.
The Parekraf Ministry kicked off the acceleration program of halal certification of food and beverage products in 3,000 tourist villages in order to implement the Mandatory Halal campaign in October.
The acceleration program includes outreach, education, literacy, publication programs, and budget facilitation for MSMEs to get free certification services in 3,000 tourist villages.
The program is implemented in collaboration with the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Body (BPJPH) and is intended for business owners, tourism village managers, tourism awareness groups, village heads, and related institutions.
Indonesia has received several awards in the halal tourism category, such as being named the world's best halal destination of 2023 in the Global Muslim Travel Index.
BPJPH Head Muhammad Aqil Irham emphasized that halal in such a context is related to hygiene, starting from health to the quality of a product.
He affirmed that collaboration with the ministry aims to support the growth and development of creative activities among MSME players, especially in tourist villages.
This is so that residents of the villages can provide additional services, especially food and beverages, for travelers visiting tourist villages.
"Apart from that, it is also to provide consumer protection, so that they feel safe, comfortable, and calm if the culinary center at the destination has received halal certification," Irham explained.
Rizki Handayani, Deputy for Industry and Investment of the Parekraf Ministry, stated that the success of halal tourism, or Muslim-friendly tourism, can be achieved if culinary industry players can guarantee halalness through halal certification.
"The Parekraf Ministry, along with BPJPH, will carry out quite a massive outreach. This halal product is also important if you want to export," she noted.
Florida Pardosi, the ministry's Director of Destination Management, stated that more than 3,989 tourist village data had been verified on the Jadesta network.
This is to then synergize with data on the distribution of halal product process assistance (P3H). Hence, the selection of 3,000 villages was based on the availability of P3H officers in the regions by BPJPH.
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Translator: Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Anton Santoso
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