BRUNEI should capitalise on its reputation of having a stringent halal certification systems in the region to expand abroad.
In an interview held on the sidelines of yesterday’s lunch meeting with a business delegation from China’s Yunnan province, National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NCCI) President Razali Johari said the sultanate is already making “headway” in the halal certification business.
“If you look into the meat market, we are importing from India, from all over the world including 
Australia which are required to comply to Brunei certification on halal, so we are already making headway. We should go further than these existing countries and look into China to export our halal brand,” he told The Brunei Times.
He said Brunei has succeeded with its existing initiative and projects. But the sultanate can do more to promote its halal standards.
“Our halal (certification system) is much stricter than any other countries in the region. So that is an accreditation by itself,” he said.
Razali said the business delegation from Yunnan visited Brunei because they’re interested to know more about the sultanate’s halal certification system.
The NCCI yesterday hosted the delegation of Chinese entrepreneurs from the province to discuss opportunities and cooperate on business projects especially in the area of halal.
The strength of Brunei Halal’s product branding is widely attributed to its certification system which is recognised worldwide and has the advantage of a single accreditation body under Brunei’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, industry players have said.
The brand was initiated in cooperation with the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (formerly known as MIPR).
This is also in line with the sultanate’s commitment to progress towards diversification and sustainability of the economy by tapping into the halal market, which Brunei has an advantage in.
Brunei Halal accreditation starts at the source and only producers that meet the standards of halal and the high quality and safety associated with it will be awarded the Brunei Halal certification.
Brunei Wafirah Holdings Sdn Bhd, the company that owns the Brunei Halal brand, set up an office, a warehouse and a distribution centre in the UK called Brunei Wafirah UK in 2011.
The UK operation focuses on retail products catering to mainly the UK and European markets.
Brunei Halal products, which include frozen meals, sauces and bread, are distributed in Singapore and the UK.
The Brunei Times
