Indonesia to sign MOU for PH halal exports

THE Philippines and Indonesia are currently working on the draft of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to help Filipino exporters comply with Indonesia›s Law on Halal Product Assurance.

In a statement on Monday, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the MoU, which is being finalized, will facilitate trading of halal-certified goods through a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement.

In 2014, the Indonesian parliament issued Law 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Assurance.

The law requires all halal products for export to Indonesia to be registered with the Halal Products Certification Agency (BPJPH), a new government agency under the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

To get a BPJPH certification, products must first be certified by a Halal Certification Body from the country of origin acknowledged by the BPJPH.

“This G2G agreement is part of DTI’s ongoing efforts to make the Philippines a trusted source for Halal products. Through exporting in predominantly Muslim countries like Indonesia, we can also help Filipino businesses pivot to this new market,” said Trade Undersecretary

Abdulgani Macatoman.

“The MOU draft between the DTI and Indonesia›s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency is already final, pending the confirmation and/or any additional comments from the Indonesian side. So, we see this being signed as soon as possible,” added Jeremiah Reyes, Philippine International Trading Center Jakarta Commercial Attache.

Once the MoU is signed, a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) will allow halal accreditation bodies in the two countries to recognize each other and eliminate the need for repeated conformity assessments.

The law regulates the processing, materials, and certification of halal products, in addition to Indonesia’s efforts in establishing partnerships with international halal agencies.

DTI said the Philippines is strengthening its policies and programs on halal as it envisions to be a respectable player in the global halal ecosystem.